Author

M. C. Beaton

M. C. Beaton
  • A dead employer’s legacy of five thousand pounds has allowed spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and enjoy traveling the English countryside by coach. But adventure soon finds Miss Pym in the form of runaway brides, spirited heiresses, and international refugees, who continue to test her expert matchmaking skills.

    Destined for Dover, Miss Pym scents the potential for a match between fellow coachmates when she meets Abigail Conningham, traveling with her mother to a loveless marriage arranged by an uncle, and Captain Beltravers, an army officer still mourning his dead wife and child. And that’s just the beginning.

    Next, Miss Pym has her matchmaking work cut out for her when she encounters the pretty but hoydenish Lady Deborah Western. Encouraged by an unruly twin brother, the spirited, golden-haired Deborah seems set on dressing and acting the tomboy, much to the dismay of her handsome neighbor, the Earl of Ashton. But with the help of Pym’s clever maneuverings, Lady Deborah will soon be well and truly matched.

  • A dead employer’s legacy of five thousand pounds has allowed spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and enjoy traveling the English countryside by coach. But adventure soon finds Miss Pym in the form of runaway brides, spirited heiresses, and international refugees, who continue to test her expert matchmaking skills.

    The shy Miss Yvonne Grenier, a beautiful fugitive of the French Revolution, is quite terrified when a dangerous enemy boards her coach to York. Luckily, Miss Hannah Pym is also on board. Ever the matchmaker, Miss Pym sees the answer to Yvonne’s plight in the hands and heart of another passenger—the Marquis of Ware.

    Handsome and tailored to perfection, the Marquis has birth and fortune enough to defend Yvonne. Although the girl is of the French bourgeoisie and below his rank, Miss Pym is certain that Yvonne’s Gallic graces and quick wit have more than piqued his interest. After all, a maiden in distress is irresistible—even to a confirmed bachelor.

  • A dead employer’s legacy of five thousand pounds has allowed spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and find adventure traveling the English countryside by coach. But adventure soon finds Miss Pym in the form of runaway brides, spirited heiresses, and international refugees, who give her an opportunity to test her expert matchmaking skills.

    In the coach to Portsmouth, Miss Pym faces her most difficult matchmaking challenge yet. The lovely Miss Penelope Wilkins, daughter of a rich merchant, would be the perfect match for the handsome Lord Augustus, a nobleman whose fortune is almost depleted. She would be, that is, if the two were at all compatible.

    Though strikingly beautiful, the too-practical Penelope seems to stand on quite the opposite cliff from the carefree Lord Augustus. But when the undaunted Miss Pym enlists their help in untangling an intrigue—and Lord Augustus steals an astounding kiss from the shocked Penelope—Miss Pym is convinced that her matchmaking expertise will soon bridge any chasm between the reluctant lovers.

  • Join matchmaker Miss Hannah Pym for a romantic seaside adventure in the delightful fourth installment in the Traveling Matchmaker series

    A dead employer’s legacy of five thousand pounds has allowed charming spinster Hannah Pym to give up her housekeeping work and to travel the English countryside, where she encounters adventure and many opportunities to ply her expert matchmaking skills.

    Lady Beatrice Marsham has quite the problem. No sooner is she widowed from a brutish gambling husband than her heartless family is forcing her into another horrid marriage. Fleeing by stagecoach to the Brighton seaside, the proud beauty meets Miss Hannah Pym, who is determined to find her a proper match.

    The handsome and kind Lord Alistair Munro would be perfect. Unfortunately, he is convinced by the town gossip that proclaims Lady Beatrice a cruel flirt. Miss Pym, however, is not worried. The young lady’s hard heart has softened much since coming to Brighton, and though Lord Alistair disapproves of the old Lady Beatrice, he is sure to fall in love with the new and improved model by Miss Pym’s clever design.

  • The New York Times bestselling Traveling Matchmaker series begins with a Regency tale of seductive subterfuge—from the author of the Agatha Raisin novels

    A dead employer’s legacy of five thousand pounds allows spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and find adventure traveling the English countryside by coach. But the adventure soon finds Miss Pym traveling with Miss Emily Freemantle, a spoiled, violet-eyed beauty fleeing an arranged marriage to a rake she has never met. When Emily’s darkly handsome betrothed boards their stage, Miss Pym is certain the girl was rash to bolt from this aristocratic catch! So, as soon as the travelers repair to an inn, Miss Pym begins her matchmaking. Although Lord Ranger Harley complains he’ll not marry an ungrateful minx, Miss Pym suspects once she’s marshaled the couple into sharing intimate household chores, all romantic knots will be untangled.

  • From the New York Times bestselling author of the Agatha Raisin novels, the audacious Hannah Pym is at it again in this charming second installment in the Traveling Matchmaker series

    A dead employer’s legacy of five thousand pounds allows spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and find adventure traveling the English countryside by coach. But the adventure soon finds Miss Pym in the form of runaway brides, spirited heiresses, and international refugees, who continue to test her expert matchmaking skills.

    No sooner does Miss Pym board her next stagecoach than she finds herself embroiled in the plight of Miss Belinda Earle, a spirited heiress banished to Bath after swearing off the marriage market. When the coach crashes near Baddell Castle, the dashing Marquis of Frenton comes to the rescue, and Miss Pym decides to give fate a hand. Although the austere bachelor disdains romance, his furtive glances toward Belinda prove to Miss Pym that her expert matchmaking will soon turn this star-crossed couple into a heavenly match.

  • Life is finally looking up for the poor relations. The Prince of Wales’ coat of arms gleams over the hotel entrance. All but one of the rooms are filled by the open-handed Prince Hugo and his entourage. The owners have taken on a new partner, Mr. Jason Davy, a popular actor. Even curmudgeonly Sir Philip hasn’t uttered anything loathsome for days. They have finally reached a position comfortable enough to allow them to consider offers to buy the hotel.

    The poor relations’ hard-earned success, however, is in stark contrast to the plight of their latest guest, Lady Jane Fremney. The slight, beautiful youngest daughter of the Earl of Durby has been cast out of her family for refusing to marry the man her father has chosen. Lonely and bankrupt, Lady Jane has decided to commit suicide. But when Miss Tonks uncovers her plans, the poor relations go into action again to rescue Lady Jane from suicide, her father, and her intended husband.

  • Bringing Regency England vibrantly to life, the fifth volume in the Poor Relation series follows the escapades of Colonel Sandhurst as he helps a young woman avoid an unwanted marriage.

    Owing to an unfortunate wager made by Sir Philip, the poor relations are once again scrounging around for a plan for solvency. This time it is Colonel Sandhurst to the rescue. After happening on Sir Randolph’s lovely daughter Frederica, who is running away to escape an awful marriage to Lord Bewley, the Colonel devises a plan to force Sir Randolph to settle his bill for six months’ stay and to save Frederica from her fate. The clever plan is thwarted when Lord Bewley shows up at the drop point instead of Sir Randolph. The poor relations must make a deal with Lord Bewley in order to get their money and stay out of jail, an arrangement that turns cases of mistaken identity into cases of romance.

  • Just when everything at the Poor Relation Hotel seems to be running smoothly, Sir Philip brings in another poor relation, Mrs. Budge. When Sir Philip presents his paramour, Lady Fortescue swears great oaths and says the woman is probably related to half the costermongers in London and certainly does not possess one rich relative. Mrs. Budge does nothing but eat all day and refuses to do any work around the hotel. Worst of all, Miss Tonks seems to be taking the romance between Sir Philip and Mrs. Budge quite hard.

    In the middle of all this commotion, a certain Lady Carruthers and her daughter Arabella come to stay at the hotel. Lady Carruthers is a widow trying to pass herself off as much younger than she actually is. To this end she dresses poor Arabella, who is all of nineteen, as a young schoolgirl and refuses to bring her out. It is up to the poor relations to deal with the lazy Mrs. Budge, find Arabella a husband, and trounce her terrible mother!

  • The loveable characters from the Poor Relation Hotel return in this sparkling and adventurous Regency romance from M. C. Beaton.

    Eliza Budley is a beautiful widow whose husband gambled away his fortune. So when the poor relations need to acquire some valuables to keep the hotel afloat and Eliza draws the short straw, Lady Fortescue reminds the others that Mrs. Budley has no relatives on whom she can call. Gentle Mrs. Budley thinks she has escaped her fate until Sir Philip comes up with a plan. He has heard that the elderly Marquess of Peterhouse is senile, a widower, extremely rich, and unlikely to remember whether Mrs. Budley is a relative or not. So off Mrs. Budley goes to the bleak castle, where the marquess turns out to be not so old, hardly senile, and, in fact, quite handsome.

  • The oddly assorted group met some time ago. All of them were poor relations, the genteel paupers of society, living on little more than their dignity. They banded together and started the Poor Relation hotel, hoping to be bought out by their embarrassed relations. Though as the hotel prospered, they began to enjoy the fruits of their labor. But once more they are in need of funds.

    To stoop to crime in their days of poverty was one thing, but to turn to it again when they have enjoyed a certain amount of success is quite another. But they all agree: the hotel must go on. And so poor, faded Miss Tonks has been persuaded to steal something valuable enough from her rich sister to set the poor relations on their feet. They all have their doubts about Miss Tonks' chances for success, but the shy spinster has more than a few surprises in store.

  • Life is not easy for the poor relations of England’s upper crust, but fate and clever schemes bring them together.

    Lady Fortescue and Colonel Sandhurst hatch a plan: What if they were to transform her decrepit Bond Street home into a posh hotel, offering their guests the pleasure of being waited upon by nobility? With the help of other down-and-out aristocrats, they do just that, and London’s newest hotel, the Poor Relation, is born.

    The establishment is an immediate hit with London’s most illustrious citizens, save the Duke of Rowcester, Lady Fortescue’s nephew. Rowcester believes that his aunt’s entry into the trade will denigrate their family name and is determined to shut the hotel down—until he meets Miss Harriett James, the lovely young woman who accepts Lady Fortescue’s offer to become the Poor Relations’ chef after the death of her parents and the loss of her fortune. Rowcester moves into the Poor Relation for the season—ostensibly to keep an eye on his aunt’s business.