Born of Persuasion (Price of Privilege Book 1)

The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston?s position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland.With two months to devise a better plan, Julia?s first choice to marry her childhood sweetheart is denied. But when a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, a realm of possibilities opens. However, treachery and deception are as much a part of Victorian society as titles and decorum, and Julia quickly discovers her present is deeply entangled with her mother?s mysterious past. Before she knows what?s happening, Julia finds herself a pawn in a deadly game between two of the country?s most powerful men. With no laws to protect her, she must unravel the secrets on her own. But sometimes truth is elusive and knowledge is deadly. From Booklist If Julia Elliston doesn?t find Edward Auburn quickly, her mysterious new guardian will send her to Scotland to become a lady?s companion. Julia hopes to convince Edward to honor the pledge to marry they made years earlier. Upon arriving for a visit at her friend Elizabeth Windham?s home, Julia is thrilled to discover that Edward still lives in the neighborhood. But she is shocked to discover that he has become an ordained minister. Given her family?s history with organized religion, Julia is sure that there?s absolutely no way she could ever wed Edward. So when Lady Adelia Foxmore offers her services as a matchmaker, Julia has no choice but to accept, and both are stunned when reclusive nobleman Chance Marcy begins wooing Julia. An intrepid heroine falling for two different men; a plot brimming with secrets, scandal, and suspense; and a richly atmospheric setting are the key ingredients in the first novel in Dotta?s Price of Privilege trilogy. Readers who miss Victoria Holt will swoon with delight upon discovering this retro-gothic winner. --John Charles Review ". . . Born of Persuasion is the epitome of addictive accessibility."  -USA TODAY With crossover appeal for mainstream historical romance fans of Victoria Holt, Dotta's debut novel will have readers demanding book two immediately.--Library Journal "Dotta's style is clearly influenced by the Brontës . . ."--BookPage4 Stars Romantic Times From the Back Cover She never imagined securing her future would require delving into the past. "Rich with period detail and full of intrigue and deception. . . Fans of Philippa Gregory and Sarah Dunant will fall in love with this arresting story." TASHA ALEXANDER, bestselling author of AND ONLY TO DECEIVE  Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. BORN of PersuasionBy JESSICA DOTTA, Kathryn S. OlsonTyndale House Publishers, Inc.Copyright © 2013 Jessica DottaAll rights reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4143-7555-7CHAPTER 1LATER, WHEN I ALLOWED MYSELF to confront the memories,to dwell on the particulars, I realized my arrival at Am Meermarked the beginning.Not the mysterious letters that drained the life from Mama.Not her suicide.And not the two men arriving at dusk, stomping mud fromtheir boots in the foyer, bearing ill tidings.Nay-not even the disconcerting news that I had a guardian,one who intended to keep me sequestered.For those happenings were not my story. I was sinless there.They were the end result of events set in motion long beforeI arrived at the cottage. I could no more have stopped theirunfolding than I could have prevented my own birth.Those of you who were alive that year might well rememberthe early frost of 1838. My arrival coincided with the hardshipfaced by the farmers that August. Though harvest hadn't quitebegun, an overcast sky stretched over the rolling farmlandsbringing a reminder of winter's cruel bite. How well I rememberthe coach