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Buried Secrets
The Scandalous Spinster
Love was for poets. Marriage was for fools. The philosophy of dashing rake Christopher Culver, the Earl of Cordray, would never melt a woman's heart. But that wasn't his desire. Nor was adhering to the restrictive tastes of the ton. He was looking for the kind of woman who matched his fire, the likes of which he'd never encounter at a Mayfair come-out ....
Miss Gillian Tate, the spinster daughter of Culver's new tenant, was intriguing. What was behind her midnight rides along the contours of the sprawling estate? What mysteries were hidden in the satchel she carried in the predawn hours? How could he discover the truth behind her reclusive father's secret obsession? And how could he ever convince a woman, so independent, so spirited and unrestrained, that he was falling prey to the weakness he feared most love?
Love was for poets. Marriage was for fools. The philosophy of dashing rake Christopher Culver, the Earl of Cordray, would never melt a woman's heart. But that wasn't his desire. Nor was adhering to the restrictive tastes of the ton. He was looking for the kind of woman who matched his fire, the likes of which he'd never encounter at a Mayfair come-out ....
Miss Gillian Tate, the spinster daughter of Culver's new tenant, was intriguing. What was behind her midnight rides along the contours of the sprawling estate? What mysteries were hidden in the satchel she carried in the predawn hours? How could he discover the truth behind her reclusive father's secret obsession? And how could he ever convince a woman, so independent, so spirited and unrestrained, that he was falling prey to the weakness he feared most love?
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2000
28 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Anne Barbour
25 books17 followersAnne Barbour developed an affection for the Regency period while living in England. She now lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband, a retired lieutenant colonel. She is the mother of six children, all grown, and she loves to boast of her five grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 7, 2021
We first meet CHRISTOPHER CULVER (Cord for short) as he flees a family dinner where his (unwanted) engagement is meant to be announced.
I have to admit this behaviour put me off the hero immediately since leaving a young woman to be embarrassed like that, is not really the most heroic behaviour, regardless of how much he disliked the idea of marrying her.
However, onward and upward – it was the start of the book and the hero does need to go through a bit of a journey right? Maybe this would turn out to be his emotional journey – facing up to responsibilities rather than fleeing them.
Enter the heroine GILLIAN TATE, a woman of mystery who appears prone to riding through the dead of night across Cord’s country estate (or hideout if you prefer) but for what reason?
There’s a definite awareness between Cord and Gillian from the moment they meet and I liked the way Gillian was aware of it and reacted as a grown woman, not a silly teenager.
“She whispered inwardly. Ah, my lad, you may smile and smile with your green-fire eyes, but you may look elsewhere for your next conquest.”
That type of awareness and adult behaviour (by Gillian, Cord not so much) follows through the whole book, which makes a nice change from many other romances where the heroine’s entire thought processes are derailed by one kiss. Although Gillian is affected by Cord’s kiss (it is a romance novel after all), she is able to keep her head and her natural intelligence continues to display itself.
There’s also more than one secret being held by the two main characters – the first is of course why Gillian feels the need to undertake those midnight journeys – and the way these come out is very nicely done.
I also really liked the description of when Cord stays the night – the two different points of view were quietly funny and served to underpin some of the differences between Gillian and Cord.
So what did I dislike about the book?
Well as already mentioned, there was the boorish behaviour by the hero in fleeing his commitments which kept me from really entering into the spirit of things initially.
There’s also a few editing errors which weren’t major but did jar me out of the story – full stops instead of commas for example, or incorrectly calling Cord’s brother ‘Mr’ early in the story and then using the correct form of ‘The Honourable’ later in the book.
Gillian’s eyes too, veer from grey to brandy-coloured and back again during the story – no mean feat!
However, as already said these are minor details (well apart from the freaky eye colour changes!) and easily overlooked really.
Do I recommend it?
Yes, I do. I think if you’re looking for a nice, light, traditional Regency romance with a twist of mystery and a garnish of intelligent writing, then you may well enjoy this book.
(Check out my personal blog for more Traditional Regency Romance reviews)
I have to admit this behaviour put me off the hero immediately since leaving a young woman to be embarrassed like that, is not really the most heroic behaviour, regardless of how much he disliked the idea of marrying her.
However, onward and upward – it was the start of the book and the hero does need to go through a bit of a journey right? Maybe this would turn out to be his emotional journey – facing up to responsibilities rather than fleeing them.
Enter the heroine GILLIAN TATE, a woman of mystery who appears prone to riding through the dead of night across Cord’s country estate (or hideout if you prefer) but for what reason?
There’s a definite awareness between Cord and Gillian from the moment they meet and I liked the way Gillian was aware of it and reacted as a grown woman, not a silly teenager.
“She whispered inwardly. Ah, my lad, you may smile and smile with your green-fire eyes, but you may look elsewhere for your next conquest.”
That type of awareness and adult behaviour (by Gillian, Cord not so much) follows through the whole book, which makes a nice change from many other romances where the heroine’s entire thought processes are derailed by one kiss. Although Gillian is affected by Cord’s kiss (it is a romance novel after all), she is able to keep her head and her natural intelligence continues to display itself.
There’s also more than one secret being held by the two main characters – the first is of course why Gillian feels the need to undertake those midnight journeys – and the way these come out is very nicely done.
I also really liked the description of when Cord stays the night – the two different points of view were quietly funny and served to underpin some of the differences between Gillian and Cord.
So what did I dislike about the book?
Well as already mentioned, there was the boorish behaviour by the hero in fleeing his commitments which kept me from really entering into the spirit of things initially.
There’s also a few editing errors which weren’t major but did jar me out of the story – full stops instead of commas for example, or incorrectly calling Cord’s brother ‘Mr’ early in the story and then using the correct form of ‘The Honourable’ later in the book.
Gillian’s eyes too, veer from grey to brandy-coloured and back again during the story – no mean feat!
However, as already said these are minor details (well apart from the freaky eye colour changes!) and easily overlooked really.
Do I recommend it?
Yes, I do. I think if you’re looking for a nice, light, traditional Regency romance with a twist of mystery and a garnish of intelligent writing, then you may well enjoy this book.
(Check out my personal blog for more Traditional Regency Romance reviews)
October 1, 2014
Christopher Culver, the Earl of Cordray's family is in an uproar for he has disappeared on the very day he is supposed to propose to his intended, Corisande. Cord has no intentions of marrying the girl, now or ever; or even anyone else for that matter. He rides hell for leather for the country to his recently inherited estate Wildehaven where no one can find him. Arriving in the pre-dawn hours, he spies a mysterious rider speeding through the night. The rider drops a jeweled hair comb and piques Cord's interest. When he makes the acquaintance of his neighbors and tenants, Sir Henry Fulsome, a retired scholar of Restoration literature; Sir Henry's sister Mrs. Ferris and their lovely niece, Miss Gillian Tate. Cord is struck by Gillian's beauty and assuming she's the midnight rider, he decides she's fair game for a dalliance. However, he doesn't expect to be intrigued by her intelligence and warm heart. He's never had a friend like this before. Is that all we wants from her? Can he help himself from wanting more than friendship and if so, what exactly, does he want? Miss Gillian Tate, spinster, is too smart to fall for Cord's flirtations. She is busy keeping her uncle from being arrested for stealing Samuel Pepys' diary from Cambridge University in his single-minded quest to decode the diary. She also cares for her aging aunt and Cord's tenants. She has no use for frivolous London Earls who are too lazy to work. Yet she finds herself enjoying the intimacies of friendship with Cord. Should she give in and follow the path to ruination? What if Cord wants more than a dalliance? Can she give her heart to him or does it remain buried in the past?
I really really liked the intellectual aspect of the plot. Being a ex-literature and history major, I am familiar with Samuel Pepys and his famous 17th century diary. I got caught up in the mystery of the decoding, even though I already knew how it was written and what it says. I did not know who decoded it or how. Even if you're not a literature/history major, you can still follow the story and enjoy the literary references. The plot is very unique because of it. The romance is a little more sensual than I would like (lots of serious kissing and melting into each other) but it develops wonderfully. Gillian and Cord really get to know each other and become friends. They actually talk (!) and reveal their innermost secrets. Their inner demons are slowly revealed to the reader as well. It gets rather dark towards the end but I liked the inclusion of the demons the characters had to face and how they overcame them. The plot doesn't follow the usual pattern and the "misunderstanding" is very unusual. By the time the end came, it was very satisfactory.
The characters are great. I disliked Cord at first for the same reasons Gillian did. I couldn't stand the fact that he wanted to seduce Gillian at first. By the end of the book, however, my sentiments had undergone such a change as to be exactly the opposite of what they were some 200 pages ago. Cord is a flawed hero and I really appreciated the author giving him that depth instead of making him the usual rake. Gillian would be one of my favorite heroines ever because she's too smart to fall for a rake's flirtations and a loving, caring woman; however, her big secret annoyed me to no end. It made her seem stupid and foolish. Therefore, I liked her, but didn't love her. Her uncle is a little crazy and at first I didn't care much for him but by the end, I could see his kind heart and grew to love him. Aunt Louisa is also intelligent, strong-minded and caring like her niece. I loved her too and how she came to care for Cord as if he was her son or nephew. I loved how the Fulsome family made Cord realize what he was missing in his life. His family is not as appealing and his aunt is downright annoying. His foppish brother provides some comic relief following a dark section.
I would highly recommend this novel, especially to those who enjoyed Miss Truelove Beckons
I really really liked the intellectual aspect of the plot. Being a ex-literature and history major, I am familiar with Samuel Pepys and his famous 17th century diary. I got caught up in the mystery of the decoding, even though I already knew how it was written and what it says. I did not know who decoded it or how. Even if you're not a literature/history major, you can still follow the story and enjoy the literary references. The plot is very unique because of it. The romance is a little more sensual than I would like (lots of serious kissing and melting into each other) but it develops wonderfully. Gillian and Cord really get to know each other and become friends. They actually talk (!) and reveal their innermost secrets. Their inner demons are slowly revealed to the reader as well. It gets rather dark towards the end but I liked the inclusion of the demons the characters had to face and how they overcame them. The plot doesn't follow the usual pattern and the "misunderstanding" is very unusual. By the time the end came, it was very satisfactory.
The characters are great. I disliked Cord at first for the same reasons Gillian did. I couldn't stand the fact that he wanted to seduce Gillian at first. By the end of the book, however, my sentiments had undergone such a change as to be exactly the opposite of what they were some 200 pages ago. Cord is a flawed hero and I really appreciated the author giving him that depth instead of making him the usual rake. Gillian would be one of my favorite heroines ever because she's too smart to fall for a rake's flirtations and a loving, caring woman; however, her big secret annoyed me to no end. It made her seem stupid and foolish. Therefore, I liked her, but didn't love her. Her uncle is a little crazy and at first I didn't care much for him but by the end, I could see his kind heart and grew to love him. Aunt Louisa is also intelligent, strong-minded and caring like her niece. I loved her too and how she came to care for Cord as if he was her son or nephew. I loved how the Fulsome family made Cord realize what he was missing in his life. His family is not as appealing and his aunt is downright annoying. His foppish brother provides some comic relief following a dark section.
I would highly recommend this novel, especially to those who enjoyed Miss Truelove Beckons
March 11, 2018
3.5 out of 5 stars
October 30, 2020
Perhaps skirting the edge of believability, in terms of the heroine's main issue, but otherwise a realistic and very enjoyable read. The side story of Pepys' encoded diary is a nice touch.
February 17, 2016
A fun read
This was well written but not quite five stars. The plot was fun and I loved the characters. The author infuses her people with so much personality you care about them almost from the beginning. The story started to lag about three quarters of the way in the form of repetitious thought on the part of Gillian our heroine. She became a bit whiney and lost much of her supposed intelligence. The ending was a bit abrupt and her realization and enlightenment about her true feelings for Cord were underwhelming. But I enjoyed this and will read more works by this author.
This was well written but not quite five stars. The plot was fun and I loved the characters. The author infuses her people with so much personality you care about them almost from the beginning. The story started to lag about three quarters of the way in the form of repetitious thought on the part of Gillian our heroine. She became a bit whiney and lost much of her supposed intelligence. The ending was a bit abrupt and her realization and enlightenment about her true feelings for Cord were underwhelming. But I enjoyed this and will read more works by this author.
April 2, 2016
So. Drama queen for a heroine, full of teenagery angst at 26. Her histrionics drag on and on until, at 99%, she decides to put the ‘whole sad episode’ behind her– the sad episode being when a man she jilted rushed off to war to prove worthy of her, and gets killed being a hero, which she has fixated on for years in a totally self-absorbed fashion … and marry the earl.
February 7, 2013
Die Geschichte an sich war toll und auch sehr interessant. Nur die Protagonistin hat mit ihrem Verhalten manchmal etwas genervt.
August 17, 2010
Not quite a keeper: let me know if you want to read it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews