Nicola's Notes
I am very honoured and proud to be part of
The Steepwood Scandals. This series of Regency books is set in
the Steepwood Abbey villages and traces the lives of the
inhabitants. The Steepwood Scandals combines drama,
intrigue, mystery and lots of wonderful historical
romance. It has been great fun collaborating with many
top M& B historical authors and developing the Steepwood story.
When I was researching for my two
books in The Steepwood Scandal I went to the Salcey
Forest, and old oak woodland in Northamptonshire.
Originally one of the Royal Hunting Forests, it dates
back to the time of William the Conqueror and contains
open grassy "lawns" which were used to provide
hay and pasture for deer and cattle. These days the
Forest contains a mix of oak, ash and conifer and is
cared for by the Forestry Commission. Nearby is Sulgrave
Manor, which I used as the basis for Hewly Manor.
Sulgrave, the home of George Washington's ancestors, is a
beautiful Tudor manor house with a glorious rose and
lavender garden.
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About the book
A Companion of
Quality is
Book 4 in the Steepwood Scandal
Regency Series. Published in the UK in August 2001 and in
the USA direct in September 2002.
Miss Caroline Whiston has come down
in the world. The daughter of a spendthrift baronet, she
now has to earn a living as a governess companion. Then
her old friend Julia Chessford invites Caroline to come
to work for her at Hewly Manor, near Steepwood, the home
of her guardian Admiral Brabant, who is dangerously ill.
Caroline's arrival co-incides with the return of the
Admiral's son Lewis, a sea captain reluctantly returned
home to take up his inheritance. As Caroline is drawn
into the lives and intrigues of the Abbey villages, the
scheming Julia spins a web to catch Lewis. But how long
can Caroline stay at Hewly when she is so deeply
attracted to Lewis herself?
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