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Book Details
The Maid’s Masquerade
An heiress and a maid swap places in brand-new duet The Heiress Switch
Undercover as the Earl’s fiancée
And to settle old scores…
Part of The Heiress Switch: On a transatlantic voyage, English maid Marguerite hatches a plan with an American heiress to temporarily trade places when they arrive in England. Forced into servitude, this is Marguerite’s chance to re-enter Society, and posing as the betrothed of Benedict, Earl of Linford—the man at fault for her circumstances—is the perfect opportunity for revenge! But her anger is soon replaced by an unsettling attraction. Still, Benedict caused her to lose everything once and she won’t lose her heart to him now—even when he reveals some unexpected truths…
Perfect for fans of:
Hidden identity
Enemies to lovers
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/MaidsMasquerade
The Maid’s Masquerade by Catherine Tinley
Extract
London, July 1818
[Marguerite, a servant, is pretending to be Miss Van Bergen, an American heiress, who is engaged to Lord Linford via an arranged marriage. Lord Linford is the enemy of Marguerite’s family, and ruined her father.]
So far, Marguerite’s ruse had gone undetected. Having said goodbye to the real Miss Van Bergen in Liverpool, she had travelled in a comfortable private carriage all the way to London, staying in the finest inns and being treated like a lady. She had written ahead to Lady Agatha’s housekeeper, Mrs Pattinson, informing her of the lady’s sudden death and asking that she inform Lady Agatha’s man of business. The housekeeper would have more than a full day’s notice to prepare for Marguerite’s arrival, since the mail coach was the fastest in England, and Marguerite had travelled by easy stages.
And so, when she arrived—in a coach bearing the insignia of Lord Linford, and dressed as a fashionable young lady—Lady Agatha’s staff did not so much as blink. It was late, so the housekeeper welcomed her alongside the senior staff, offering her supper and recognising that Miss Van Bergen would likely desire to retire quickly. There was no butler, Lady Agatha having lived quietly—which entirely suited Marguerite.
‘Miss Van Bergen’ agreed to supper, so Marguerite found herself eating a pleasant repast of toast and boiled eggs washed down with tea, before being accompanied to a delightful bedchamber on the second floor.
Exhausted, she slept very well, awakening to stretch, yawn and reflect how delightful it was to have nothing to do: no travelling, no cleaning, no attending a mistress. She was free to stay in bed all day, if she wished.
She did not so wish, so she rose, padding across the room to open the curtains. The room overlooked Grosvenor Street, and by craning Marguerite was able to catch a glimpse of the park at the end of the street to her left. The day was fine, dry and cool and, had it not been for the obligation to inform Lord Linford of her arrival, Marguerite would have been entirely content. Being Miss Van Bergen would be delightful if all she would have to do was please herself and be waited on. Being Lord Linford’s betrothed would be quite another matter.
Ringing the bell for a housemaid to attend her, Marguerite took time to enjoy the deliciousness of the moment. Having been that maid for four whole years, it felt daring and decadent to be the one waited upon.
Miss Sophia’s clothing was all of the best quality, and Marguerite felt decidedly pretty in the morning dress of pale-pink muslin, the high neck trimmed with lace and the flounce at the bottom adding just the right amount of interest. The gown was a little loose on her, but the maid who dressed her would simply assume she had lost a little weight during her long journey across the Atlantic.
After speaking to the housekeeper, Marguerite was left in Lady Agatha’s pleasant drawing room to wait, and wonder what would happen when Lord Linford arrived. She could not settle, so wandered about the room studying the paintings and ornaments, then went to the window, idly observing the passers-by and the traffic. When a dark carriage halted outside the door, she immediately tensed, her eye going to the insignia on the door.
Linford!
Her heart pounding, Marguerite watched as the groom opened the carriage door and a man stepped out. From her vantage point one floor up, she could not discern his features, but his form was admirable—his height, breadth of shoulders and long legs accentuated by the buckskins and a dark-blue jacket that had probably been made by Weston or Stultz. While Marguerite knew of both London tailors, Miss Van Bergen would not, and this came as a timely reminder that she needed to be careful not to reveal the truth via a casual observation or statement.
Lord! He glanced up and Marguerite shrank back, through instincts formed by four years of trying to be an unnoticed, unobtrusive servant. Crossing the room, she sat on a satin-covered armchair, awaiting his arrival.
Take care! she reminded herself. This is Linford.
She knew him to be ruthless and cold-hearted and, while she would not actively seek to undermine the betrothal between and Miss Van Bergen and him, she could not forget the rush of anger that had gone through her when she had first agreed to be part of this ruse.
Revenge. Having been raised only to be kind to others, she had now acquired a layer of cynicism that would have shocked Papa, had he known of it.
In order to make the most of this break from working as a servant, she had to maintain her role. Yet, in order to pay him back in some small way for his coldness towards Papa, she would seek to punish him in small ways if she could. For now, though, her task was to convince him that she was truly an American heiress, and not the gentleman’s daughter he had met briefly in Shropshire four years ago.
The door opened. ‘The Right Honourable the Earl of Linford,’ the footman intoned, and Marguerite rose.
He strode into the drawing-room as though he owned it, his gait signalling an easy confidence which, Marguerite assumed, came from being fawned over all his life.
Author Bio
Catherine Tinley is an award-winning writer from County Down. She writes witty, heart warming Regency historical romance novels. She has won a coveted Rita® Award, two RoNA Awards, and the HOLT Medallion, and her books have been translated into ten languages. Two of her books have also been published as manga graphic novels.
She also writes saga/women’s historical fiction as Seána Tinley.
After a career encompassing speech & language therapy, Sure Start, and managing a maternity hospital, she now works for a leading charity. She lives in County Down with her husband, children, cats, and dog, and can be reached via her website or on socials.
Social Media Links – https://linktr.ee/CTinley
