Yours and Mine
A.E. Bennett
Publication date: December 21st 2021
Genres: Adult, Historical, Historical Romance, Romance

She told a lie. He confirmed it. Now they’re secretly betrothed against their families’ wishes…

Lady Octavia Dorchester is the most desired young lady in the Realm. Now that she has twenty years behind her, society has deemed her ready to marry. Although she’s not enthusiastic, she promises to act like a proper lady and look for a good husband—just like her powerful father Lord Roman Dorchester wants.

Lord Gerald Verte has been painfully shy his entire life. He’s never been comfortable in society and lives in the shadow of his older brother, the imposing Lord Tristian Verte. Despite his desires to remain indoors and away from people, he promises his older brother that he won’t shame the family name, no matter how much his anxiety threatens to overwhelm him.

After sharing a dance at a ball held in Octavia’s honor, both she and Gerald know what no one else believes—it’s love at first sight.

When their respective family members object to the match, Octavia lies about their betrothal and Gerald corroborates her story. Raising the ire of both Lords Dorchester and Verte, Octavia and Gerald are torn apart and kept from one another until tragedy strikes.

This high-heat romance with a guaranteed HEA is a prequel to Gathering of the Four: Book One of the Serrulata Saga but can be read as a standalone.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT

Octavia grimaced and turned back to her reflection to give herself a final once-over, wishing the words her sister spoke seemingly without care didn’t carry an immense amount of truth behind them. She was a lady of the Realm who had recently reached her twentieth year—the age of majority— and now it was time for her to find a suitable husband.

Age of majority. Octavia had always sniffed at the term. For men of the Realm, gentry and peasant and servant alike, the words meant that they were legally able to control any assets they might possess. For women, it merely meant they were supposedly ready to pass from the protective care of their fathers to that of a husband. No woman in the Realm, no matter her status, was legally able to own or control anything without a guardian, even her own body.

She resisted the urge to shiver as her sister held out her hand and offered to help her stand. “I don’t think I’m ready for this.”

Selma smoothed her hands over her sister’s shoulders. “I didn’t think I was ready, either. And now look at me

—engaged!”

Octavia locked her deep brown eyes onto her sister’s in their reflection in the mirror. She gulped against the lump in her throat, angry that her nerves were suddenly getting the better of her. She was a lady—and a Dorchester. Dorchesters never showed weakness! It was a mantra their father had drilled into them since they were young children.

“It took you more than one season to finalize your agree- ment,” Octavia huffed, teasing Selma in order to quell her anxiety. “I’ll wager I leave the ball tonight a taken woman.”

Selma laughed heartily. She was two years older than Octavia, but Octavia had always been considered the more studious and serious of the two Dorchester children. She leaned over and placed an affectionate kiss on her sister’s cheek. “Always the overachiever.”

“Don’t you know it,” Octavia snorted.

Selma gave her a knowing look as she turned to face her sister.

Octavia threw up her hands and fluttered her eyelashes dramatically. “That’s the last un-ladylike thing I do tonight, promise!”

Selma offered her arm to her younger sister and smiled. “Come along. It won’t do to be late to your own debut!”

Author Bio:

A.E. Bennett (she/her) lives in Washington, D.C. She is originally from North Carolina.

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