Books
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

see page history

Description edit see section history

The Duchess of Cosway yearns for a man she has never met . . . her husband. Married by proxy as a child, Lady Isidore has spent years fending off lecherous men in every European court while waiting to meet her husband. She's determined to accept him, no matter how unattractive the duke... read more

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Lady Isidore Del'Fino: Duchess of Cosway, beautiful and headstrong; married to the Duke of Cosway by proxy when she was twelve years old
  • Simeon Jermyn: Duke of Cosway, dark and handsome
  • Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont: Isidore's friend
  • Honeydew: butler at Revels House
  • Kinnaird: the manager of the Duke of Cosway's London properties
  • Godfrey: younger brother of the Duke of Cosway
  • Lucille: Isidore's lady's maid
  • Elijah: Duke of Beaumont
  • Dowager Duchess of Cosway: Simeon's mother
  • Bahrnagash: King of Abyssinia who was famous for putting strangers to death and dividing their possessions among his tribesmen; challenged Simeon to a race - the reward being his life and the lives of his men
  • Signorina Angelico: Isidore's mantua-maker
  • Valamksepa: one of Simeon's teacher's who taught him the importance of maintaining peace by exerting personal control
  • Mr. Silas Pegg: the blacksmith and sel-appointed mayor of the village
  • Leopold: Duke of Villiers
  • Fowle: The Duke of Beaumont's butler
  • Harriet: Lady Isidore and Lady Jemma's friend; currently having an affair with Lord Strange
  • Sarah Cobbett: the Duke of Beaumont's mistress
  • Mr. Henry Mopser: store owner in the village
  • Mr. Merkin: the man from London who came to repair the pipes and sewers at Revels House
  • Marquise de Perthius: one of Jemma's least favorite people in France, one of her rivals
Show all 20 characters
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Quotes edit see section history

  • “Show me the man who's too intelligent to use his tool, and I'll show you a dunce.”
    Lady Isidore Del'Fino
  • “Marriage is a great destroyer of logic, but I do think it's a benefit to begin with a sane husband.”
    Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont
  • “There's nothing more disarming than a woman's blush.”
    Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont
  • “Whither thou goest, there will I go too.”
    Simeon Jermyn, Duke of Cosway
  • “A man always has choices. If you tell yourself you have no choice, you lie... you lie in the worst possible manner: because almost always a man who tells himself that he has no choices has already made up his mind to the wrong choice.”
    Valamksepa
  • “Anger is nothing more than the other side of fear... and both drive a man to his knees. A man never falls to his knees from anger, lust, or fear. The three most dangerous emotions.”
    Valamksepa
  • “A man walked through life on the path he created for himself. He did not allow pettiness to lead him astray.”
    Valamksepa
  • “Chess is better than alcohol...more addictive, more inflammatory, more intelligent”
    Duke of Villiers
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • Anger is nothing more than the other side of fear…and both drive a man to his knees.
    Highlighted by 13 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

Show all 11 settings

Organizations edit see section history

  • The Dead Watch: the men who were sent in to clear houses where people had died or who pulled floaters out of the Thames

First Sentence edit see section history

Women have been dressing to entice men ever since Eve fashioned her first fig leaf.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Prologue
Chapter 1 - 42
Epilogue: Part I
Epilogue: Part II
Historical Note

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 4 of 6 in Desperate Duchesses. (standard series)

Preceded by Duchess By Night, and followed by This Duchess of Mine.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Eloisa James (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Avon Books
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2008
ISBN: 0061245607
Page Count: 384

Classification edit see section history

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Desperate Duchesses
  • An Affair Before Christmas
  • Duchess By Night
  • This Duchess of Mine
  • A Duke of Her Own

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • Desperate Duchesses
  • An Affair Before Christmas
  • Duchess By Night

We’re hiding the errata, movie connections, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.