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Thirteen years ago, Alex Greysteel Montgomery, an Earl and double agent-now working to restore King Charles II to the throne-was betrothed to the impetuous Velvet Cavendish. Their parents saw the engagement as a business opportunity-and although Greysteel has always had an affinity for Velvet,... read more

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Summary edit see section history

When they were really young, Velvet (Elizabeth Cavendish) and Robert Montgomery (Greysteel) were betrothed as a business deal by their fathers. Years later, Britain rule had undergone upheavals; now Oliver Cromwell was in power and Charles II was in exile. But Greysteel, after being... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

When they were really young, Velvet (Elizabeth Cavendish) and Robert Montgomery (Greysteel) were betrothed as a business deal by their fathers. Years later, Britain rule had undergone upheavals; now Oliver Cromwell was in power and Charles II was in exile. But Greysteel, after being imprisoned as a captain in the Royalist forces, was used as a spy in London to see how the populace felt about putting a monarch back on the throne. Cromwell was ill and eventually died, and with much ado Charles was restored as king of England. All those years, Velvet had felt she was in love with Charles - they certainly were great friends - but now he needed a wife with a large dowry because the coffers were empty. And Velvet had no dowry - her father had been relieved of all his lands and had been living in Belgium for all those years before he died. Velvet was now living with a distant relative, Christian Bruce, in London, and had met Greysteel again. Even though they were attracted to one another, they had an issue with control - each wanted to control the other and refused to knuckle under. But their attraction led to sexual union, an unwanted advance by another man led Velvet to decide to marry Greysteel. Eventually, that took place; but the jealousy and the control issues led to several separations between them. It took a near-death experience to teach them how important they were to one another.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Greysteel (Robert) Montgomery: The hero of this story. Betrothed at 13 to Elizabeth Cavendish. Rich when he was young, a captain in the Royalist army later, imprisoned and then used as a spy.
  • Velvet (Elizabeth) Cavendish: Rich and spoiled when young and, although betrothed at 7 to Greysteel, she continued to plan to marry Charles II, a prince at that time. Precocious, often referred to as a "throwback" to a great-grandmother Bess Hardwick.
  • Alex Greysteel Montgomery: Earl of Eglington, Robert's father, a widower.
  • William Cavendish: Elizabeth's father, Viscount Mansfield of Nottingham, an owner of much land. Cousin to the Earl of Devonshire.
  • Charles Stuart: Eventually became king, but exiled for years. Velvet always hoped to marry Charles when she got older.
  • Minette: A princess, (Henriette Anne) sister to Charles II; lived in Saint-Germain Palace with other Royalist exiles.
  • Lady Margaret Lucas: Eventually married Velvet's father after he was widowed; she never liked Velvet.
  • George Monck: A general in Cromwell's army, once a Royalist. He held Greysteel prisoner and released him only so he could act as a secret agent to London.
  • Emma: Velvet's companion from Belgium to England.
  • Christian Bruce: Lady Cavendish, 60, Dowager countess, mother of the Earl of Devonshire. Velvet went to live with her in England. It was from Christian that Graysteel Montgomery bought Roehampton. She was also a friend of Henrietta Maria, Charles II's mother.
  • Samuel Lawson: A goldsmith in London at the Temple, used by Greysteel when money issues needed to be handled.
  • Mr. Burke: Christian's steward; trusted for many things.
  • Bess Hardwick: Velvet's great-grandmother, a woman who had four husbands before she was 35, knew how to control men and wrote a journal that Velvet read and tried to learn by.
  • Seaman Spencer: A quartermaster on a frigate; a courier to Greysteel.
  • Will Cavendish: A grandson of Christian, 18 yrs. old, a distant relative to Velvet. Not nice; forced himself on Velvet.
  • Bertha Clegg: The housekeeper-cook at Roehampton whom Greysteel kept; married to Alfred who took care of the horses.
  • Will Cavendish: Christian's son, the Earl of Devonshire and the cousin to Velvet's father. Married to a quiet woman, Elizabeth.
  • Henry: King Charles's younger brother, the Duke of Gloucester; he contracted smallpox.
  • Princess Mary: Charles's eldest sister, living in The Hague; sailed to London after her brother died.
Show all 19 characters
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Setting & Locations edit see section history

England, mid-1600s
  • Nottingham Castle, 1644: Where Robert Montgomery (Greysteel) was betrothed at 13 to 7-yr.-old Elizabeth Cavendish (Velvet).
  • Northumberland, 1657: Where Robert, now a captain at 26, was trying to help get the crown of England restored to his friend, Charles ((. This battle, though, ended in his surrender and imprisonment.
  • Bruges, Belgium: Where Charles Stuart lived, in exile.
  • Christian's home: In London, a grand home in Bishopsgate. This is where Velvet, who was bored in Belgium, was invited to live; she accepted.
  • Roehampton: A manor house and estate with Elizabethan origins belonging to Christian Bruce. Velvet loved it, and Greysteel was able to buy it from Christian. Its 12 acres had a lake and it was near to London. Inside, there were polished oak floors, leaded windows and high-beamed ceilings.
  • Whitehall: Where King Charles II held a gathering upon his return to the throne.

First Sentence edit see section history

Robert Montgomery stood tall and proud in the castle's solar, looking down with interest at the small female beside him.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Virginia Henley (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: signet
Country: usa
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 408

Classification edit see section history

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Adults

There are numerous sexual scenes; this is not for young people.


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