The Meddler (Paperback or Softback)

A Mistaken Lord and a Meddling Lady!

Welcome to book 1 in one of the most anticipated series A Series of Worthy Young Ladies from bestselling author Kate Archer.

Six highly placed matrons mourn their lack of daughters until they devise a scheme to launch eligible girls in need of assistance, and so The Society of Sponsoring Ladies is born.

Miss Georgiana Wilcox, eldest daughter of the sixteenth Baron of Manley, has done just what she liked in her little corner of England. She is not unaware that her family's fortunes have been dwindling for the past three generations, nor that her upbringing has not been up to snuff. Her father has regrets from time to time, as his daughter has never had a tutor, musical or otherwise, and he never did get around to purchasing a proper sidesaddle. For all that, Georgiana is rather cheerful regarding her circumstances and imagines she'll marry some dashing soldier who might pass through the neighborhood. That is, until the Countess of Mendleton devises a plan to launch her in London.

Jasper Stapleton, Viscount Langley and heir to the Earl of Mendleton, is rendered speechless over his mother's latest plan. Some unknown and penniless lady from an equally unknown family is to be taken under Lady Mendleton's wing. As his mother is a great adopter of the needy-human and canine both-he presumes the young lady is one more lost soul to be rescued. He determines he'll have nothing to do with the project, as he's far too busy working for the queen. Though, he does find Miss Wilcox very pleasant to look at. More than pleasant, actually.

Jasper is directed by Queen Charlotte to achieve what appears to be a simple task-discover the villain who dares talk to the newspapers about the king's maladies. As he digs deeper, though, it becomes apparent that gossip is the least of their problems. The Stuart has left Russia and Jasper believes he may be in England, poised to take advantage of the incapacity of the king and make a run at the throne. Worse, he discovers evidence that Miss Wilcox is a part of it.

Can Jasper unravel the plot in time to keep Miss Wilcox out of the Tower? Or perhaps he will realize that it's him that needs saving...

A Series of Worthy Young Ladies

The Meddler

The Sprinter

The Undaunted

The Champion

The Jilter

The Royal

By the time I was eleven, my Irish Nana and I had formed a book club of sorts. On a timetable only known to herself, Nana would grab her blackthorn walking stick and steam down to the local Woolworth's. There, she would buy the latest Barbara Cartland romance, hurry home to read it accompanied by viciously strong wine, (Wild Irish Rose, if you're wondering) and then pass the book on to me. Though I was not particularly interested in real boys yet, I was very interested in the gentlemen in those stories-daring, bold, and often enraging and unaccountable. After my Barbara Cartland phase, I went on to Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen and so many other gifted authors blessed with the ability to bring the Georgian and Regency eras to life.I would like nothing more than to time travel back to the Regency (and time travel back to my twenties as long as we're going somewhere) to take my chances at a ball. Who would take the first? Who would escort me into supper? What sort of meaningful looks would be exchanged? I would hope, having made the trip, to encounter a gentleman who would give me a very hard time. He ought to be vexatious in the extreme, and worth every vexation, to make the journey worthwhile.I most likely won't be able to work out the time travel gambit, so I will content myself with writing stories of adventure and romance in my beloved time period. There are lives to be created, marvelous gowns to wear, jewels to don, instant attractions that inevitably come with a difficulty, and hearts to break before putting them back together again. In traditional Regency fashion, my stories are clean-the action happens in a drawing room, rather than a bedroom.As I muse over what will happen next to my H and h, and wish I were there with them, I will occasionally remind myself that it's also nice to have a microwave, Netflix, cheese popcorn, and steaming hot showers.