Showing results by narrator "Lesley Dessalles" in All Categories

After the death of her father, Gabriella Babineaux, left France to live under the protection of a family friend in England. The Frost Fair on the Thames seems the perfect place to begin her introduction into English Society, but when she bumps into a gentleman on the ice and he dismisses her merely for being French, she worries she will be a dismal failure at the upcoming Season. How will she ever find love if she cannot even fit in?

Inspired by Stories from 99 Nightingale Lane and to accompany the popular series, Stories and Recipes from 99 Nightingale Lane from Ida Coyle.

Flowers have been depicted as objects of beauty and wonder in countless paintings and poems, exchanged as tokens of love and affection, and displayed as symbols of both celebration and remembrance—"saying it with flowers" is truly part of the human experience. But how does the significance of flowers vary across cultures and at different points in history? And what makes certain flowers special?

Laura and Jack Harrington are the archetypal career couple. They live in a trendy flat and look forward to starting a family. But Laura is still haunted by her "dark days" - memories of being bullied by a girl at school. She is finding it hard to conceive and fears this is the result of the illness that followed her traumatic experience as a teenager. When his new personal assistant arrives, he has no idea how much effort she had gone to - who she really is, and what she has planned....

Nineteen-year-old Carrie Dobbs has a secret; when her parents discover what she has desperately tried to hide, Carrie's mother, Florrie takes matters into her own hands and arranges a marriage with Arnold Bateman to get Carrie out of Whitechapel and away from the gossips. He is a man Carrie could never love, the opposite of Johan, the young man she adores. Arnold has been posted to India and expects her to go with him and be the wife he needs to further his promotion and position in the army.

Nineteen-year-old Carrie Dobbs has a secret tearing her apart. When her parents discover her condition, Carrie's mother, Florrie takes matters into her own hands and arranges a marriage with Arnold Bateman to get Carrie out of Whitechapel and away from the gossips. He is a man Carrie could never love, the opposite of Johan, the young man she adores. Arnold has been posted to India and expects her to go with him and be the wife he needs to further his promotion and position in the army.

Carrie Dobbs and Arnold Bateman have arrived in India. The journey from Bombay to Secunderabad is arduous - hot, uncomfortable, and with little to eat but unfamiliar food. But when she steps over the threshold of the bungalow she and her baby son John are to share with Bateman, she realizes that nothing could have prepared her for the life she is now expected to live.

Kara Tate was looking forward to a new start in a new home after the breakdown of her marriage. A drunken first night leads to a discovery hidden under the floorboards - little does she know it will lead to a shocking outcome. Kara and her best friend have unlocked a dark secret that has been buried for so long it will stop at nothing to be told. The new life she longed for cannot begin until she unveils the truth of Sapphire Lake Estate.

A rancid, stale odor laced the cold breath that fluttered over my shoulder. “Listen to me”, a voice hissed in my ear. It had been 10years to the day my best friend, Sophia Mason had disappeared the night of her 16th birthday. Every year seemed harder than the previous one. The ‘gang’ got together yearly to cry, laugh, and remember the girl that was the centre of our world. Lately, strange things had been happening. It was as if someone or something had a message to send and they demanded to be heard.

When humans come to fell the last forest, they are in for a nasty surprise. A short dark fantasy tale of the wrath of nature.

Lily-Anne Cole never fit in with the other maids. But when she inherits an estate, she doesn’t fit in with the ton, either. Matters only become more complicated when a wild-looking man breaks into her house. Luckily, a handsome groom comes to her rescue. Or at least she believes he is there to rescue her. Timothy Hastings has made himself into a successful, almost-gentleman by cleaning up the messes of the English ton. When he is hired to find a treasure of stolen diamonds, everything goes wrong from the beginning, and he finds himself playing the role of a groom.

Mr. Stoker and I met each dawn on the East Cliff in the shadow of Whitby Abbey. On a bench overlooking the sea, Bram soon became the confidant I had yearned for. So, in faith, I shared the events that tormented my youth and left me haunted. And after that chance encounter, I will forever live within the pages of what became Bram Stoker’s masterpiece, for it was my story that inspired Dracula.

Sixty-two years ago, Nancy Jenkins was found dead in the woods, and her murder went unpunished. Since then, the woods have been a dark place. Some say it’s a serial killer, and others think it’s much more sinister than that. Amy Woods and her friends don’t take the rumors seriously and set out to seek the truth. Dark secrets are about to be exposed, and Amy faces the terror that awaits her and anyone she loves. The truth about Nancy Jenkins is much closer to home than Amy could ever imagine. Nothing stays silent forever, not even the dead.

Come on a whirlwind ride across time and place with one of the most recognizable figures of Western history - Joan of Arc. We all know of her, but few know the details of her life. Travel back in time, through the words of the maid, in a series of imaginary interviews conducted by the author. Join her on her journey from shepherdess to warrior woman, to her rise to sainthood. Enjoy Joan’s own words, recorded through two arduous trials. Listen to her own descriptions of the many battles and political maneuvers she lived through and starred in.

England is still in the grip of a war against an enemy which is holding its ground and food shortages are beginning to bite. Carrie's relief that David found his way back to her after being injured almost melts her, but he brings with him a problem she cannot solve. His mind is broken, terrorised by nightmares and memories of the men he feels he should have protected, but instead led to their deaths. Carrie loves David with all her heart, and because of her love for him she know she must make a decision for which she doubts he'll ever forgive her.

When Carrie discovers Arnold's secret, she is determined to make a life for herself in Secunderabad. She still pines for home in Whitechapel, even though she isn't sure what would be waiting for her should she ever return. She knows if Arnold has his way, she will be in Secunderabad, as his wife and hostess, a trophy wife, until he has reached the pinnacle of his ambitions.

Carrie is so grateful that she can call 99 Nightingale Lane home, and Christmas promises are to be one to cherish with her dear friends around her and the first one her son John will remember, but a cloud hangs over her happiness. Arnold Bateman, Carrie's estranged husband is back in Whitechapel. He has made it clear to Carrie that he wants her back, not to be a husband to her, but simply for what she now owns. Unknown to Carrie, he has visited the house on many occasions to persuade her but has received constant rebuttals from Ida Coyle, Carrie's loyal cook.

When Beth Brown loses her job and her boyfriend in the space of twenty-four hours, she thinks life can’t get any worse. That’s until she finds herself in the depths of the English countryside working for chef Rocco di Castri. Not only does she have to deal with his legendary moods, but she’s also expected to get his chaotic schedule and workload in check, all while she’s nursing a broken heart. It’s not long before Rocco’s idyllic home starts to work its magic and soon she sees a softer side to her boss too.

Alice Fletcher doesn’t like to take chances and she certainly doesn’t believe in fate. Three years after the end of her last long-term relationship, she’s in no hurry to risk another heartbreak. But fate has other plans. One day, on her drive home, Alice comes across a man, dazed and lost, by the side of a wrecked car. And with no one else around, Alice goes to help. TV star Jimmy Mack is riding the crest of the career wave one minute, and the next he’s staring at his crashed car. But when Alice comes to rescue him, things start to look up.

A Mistletoe Bride is murdered on Christmas Eve, 1893. Her ghost haunts the family stately home, Willow Manor, until her remains are discovered and the truth revealed. Set in the present day and Victorian England, the tragic young bride can at last share her story and put right the terrible injustice that destroyed her family and those she loved. The city of Oxford’s Randolph Hotel, and the village of Minster Lovell, the site of the stately home, are the locations for this heartwrenching story of deceit, love, and betrayal.