A man who steals kisses is a poor girl's ruin and rich one's prize! LOVE'S PERILOUS ROAD, box set in continuity by Bluestocking Belles!

A highwayman is attacking travelers on a dark deserted road!

Who is he? Does he really want what he steals? If so, why does he seem to give it away...or take things he can never return?

And what happens when one robber waylays one special carriage and insists that one woman step down...only to steal a kiss?

What dastardly, delicious creature would do that, eh?

Love's road is surely perilous this autumn in LOVE'S PERILOUS ROAD, a box set by the incomparable Bluestocking Belles!

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Merry-Belles-Bluestocking-Collection-Friends-ebook/dp/B0FTQVYSKG

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And what of that fellow who steals only kisses?

In Cerise DeLand's STOLEN KISSES, he is a charmer.

***

When Lance Winters first kissed Emma Tomkins pretending to be a highwayman years ago, she was ruined. Retiring to the country for succumbing to one delightful embrace, she endured society’s sting. 

But things have changed. Now she has money—a fortune of 8,000 pounds a year, and she’s determined to live a rich and full life. Alone. 

But men know of her new status, and seek her out like lemmings to the sea.

As a lowly cousin of a viscount and a captain in the Army Engineers, Lancelot Winters never had anything to his name. No right to claim a lady. Only a future fighting in Spain and France—and sent abroad to Canada soon after. Yet now Lance has a inherited an noble title and an estate to make his life comfortable. But he can’t and won’t do it alone. One woman is his answer.

When he appears in London to begin to court her, she refuses him. But he is not one to be put off. Not by society’s rules and not by her. So he disguises himself as the same highwayman of years ago and tracks Emma in her carriage one day on her way to Brighton. He grabs her off the coach—and in front of amused passengers and her niece, he kisses her.

Oh, yes. She remembers his lips. His voice. His rakish charm. But he ruined her once and she’s determined it won’t happen again. After all, she has rehabilitated herself…plus she intends to be a respectable wealthy grumpy spinster.

But the man is persistent. He shows up at the Old Ship Hotel on the Marine Parade in Brighton and makes a point to be everywhere! In The Lanes, in Aria Rocatti’s modiste shop, at the sea bathing rental post along the coast, and finally at the ball hosted by Lord Peter Summerville at his home at the conclusion of his house party. 

Each time they meet, they befall a few…um…mishaps. Lance thinks Emma’s his angel. She thinks he’s a delightful, star-struck fool. If only Emma’s niece weren’t trying to become his lady love too!

Lancelot might be his first name, but chivalry is his middle. He can’t live without her. And she can’t imagine marrying anyone else.

Their biggest problem?

A Bow Street Runner shows up at the Summerville Ball to arrest Lance as the highwayman who’s plagued the south shore of England.

What’s a woman to do if she now is in love with a highwayman?

Romance for grown ups! An older man for an older woman! 99 cents on pre-order now!

Tired of heroes and heroines too young to really know what to do to protect their love...in the bedroom and out?

AMAZON KU

Me, too! 

So here is AUNT GERTRUDE"S RED HOT CHRISTMAS BEAU, an older gentleman and an older lady, who know what they are about!

Need a nibble? 

Of course, you do!

Copyright 2019. Cerise Deland. All rights reserved.

“You may go, Nan,” she told her lady’s maid. “I’ve no need of my wrapper. I go straight to bed. You should, too.”

The servant bobbed and turned for Gertrude’s sitting room door.

But when she opened it, Simms stood there. His hand in the air, ready to scratch the wood to ask for entry, he quickly recovered his aplomb. The butler was new to Gertrude’s employ, efficient, worldly and no more than thirty years of age. Intriguing for a butler of his extensive experience to be so less than fifty, but Gertrude had not debated his background. She’d hired the man. Handsome as sin with ink black hair and flashing silver eyes, he had an air of no nonsense, a bevy of friends at Prinny’s Royal Pavilion and an odd penchant for quoting Shakespeare. Gertrude valued him. A wise and interesting choice to head her household. Even if, at the moment, he appeared to be rather disheveled. Odd that.

“Yes, Simms.” She swished her long unbound silver hair over her shoulder and pulled her green velvet robe close to her throat. “What is it?”

“My lady, we have a new arrival. I knew you’d wish to greet him.”

Him? Her heart did a girlish pitter-patter. “I wish to welcome any guest, Simms. Who—?”

“The duke of Harlow, Madam.”

She shivered in delight. “I will be right down, Simms.”

“No need, my dear Gertrude!” The bass voice was one of command, a man who knew his authority and seized it. Yes, it was Harlow! Expertly attired in a winter clawhammer and woolen breeches that hugged his sturdy frame, he glowed from the brisk winter air. His hair, black as sin with those devilish streaks of white at his temples, proclaimed his age more than the ruddiness of his cheeks. Most of all, what declared his youthful intentions were his turquoise eyes that twinkled in mischief. 

Simms stepped aside.

And Harlow filled her doorway.

 She grinned and extended both hands. “Your Grace. How wonderful to see you here.”

He walked right in, nodding in dismissal to Simms and her maid. Then he reached out to grasp the door and shut it upon them both. “How wonderful to be greeted. By a lady in her nightgown, too. Love the dishabille, my dear.”

“You rake!” She chuckled. And blushed. What a man to so commandeer the room! In front of her butler and her maid, too. My, my. “Harlow, I’m thrilled!”

“Are you, my darling?” He strode close, sent one hand up to capture the wealth of her hair and curled an arm around her waist. Crushing her against his rock-like form, he brushed his firm lips across hers and seized her mouth in a ravenous kiss. When he broke away, she was breathless . “I’m here to claim the joys of the Season—and you. Will you have me?”

I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY HIM! AND DO ENJOY the companion book to this, THE MARQUESS'S FINAL FLING, which stars the Duke of Harlow's son, the Marquess of Tain!  

Of course, all 6 of these Christmas Belles find love at the same house party! And all are on KU!

Cerise's AMAZON page for all in this series!

What precisely is a bourdaloue? And why would we need one? Hmm! Secrets of the bedchamber!

Before indoor plumbing, the private matters of personal toilette were carried out in very different ways from today.

In country homes and chateaux, water was primed from a pump and carried into the house in buckets. Heated, if necessary and then carted about inside in same buckets or perhaps pitchers.

Some houses were fitted with cisterns on the roofs to catch rainwater. Make-shift showers could be had by pulling the lever to allow the water to cascade down. But yes, that water was cold.

What then of disposal of bodily wastes?

While a few who were rich, including monarchs and their families, had privy chairs, beneath those open seats were, quite frankly, pots. In country houses and chateaux disposal of waste was much the same as in the growing cities. Waste was carried to the back of the house and dumped in bins for the night soil collector to dispose of. As we see below in one cartoon, urine was often simply thrown into the streets. Open sewers were a source of disease and contamination until the later part of the 19th century.
Until then, removal of waste was done by hand. By the hands of servants or the persons themselves, bodily eliminations were carried out in chamber pots or bourdaloues.

A pot is easy enough to imagine. Here is one with a fellow inside, who presumably, is there to guide one's aim!

But what, pray tell, is a bourdaloue?

A small receptacle usually made of porcelain, these boats, if you will, were specifically made for women to urinate in. Above, at the opening of this articles one and here is another rather lovely example!

But how were they used?

While one can imagine, I thought I spice up your day and show you a few illustrations from the period! Some are paintings, other cartoons! Do enlarge to read the captions. Useful to note that these folks could and did laugh at their inconveniences. One not so hilarious cartoon is the one in which one gentleman, I use the term loosely, is relieving himself in the same room with his dinner partners!

Why do I mention any of this? Because I am finishing up THE BUTLER'S FORBIDDEN FANCY, a short Christmas story in my CHRISTMAS BELLES series, and the hero who is a butler is discussing his duties. They would include ensuring that the guests at his employer's home have sufficient pots and bourdaloues for their conveniences!

https://www.amazon.com/Cerise-DeLand/e/B0089DS2N2/