Crown of Laurel

Lucky in love is lucky enough…

Bright-eyed housekeeper’s daughter, Laurel, has her eyes and, more importantly, her heart set on marrying her childhood friend, and soon-to-be Earl, Harry.

After having her fortune read at the local fete, she discovers that her fate is to be wealthy and of high rank someday, and, most of all, to marry a fair boy.

Her heart full of her wonderful future, she meets a young disenchanted soldier, Daniel, who is blighted by the woes of war.

Little does she know that, in handing him her lucky penny, his star will rise as hers falls, and their fates will be irrevocably and tragically intertwined forever.

Sure enough, soon after leaving Daniel, Laurel finds her sweetheart is sent to war, and, not only that, but has met a young Belgian notable, fallen in love and eloped, leaving Laurel stricken.

Meanwhile, Daniel is rising fast through the military ranks, moving through battles from strength to strength.

Jilted, Laurel waits in anguish for Harry’s return to Norley to see how things will have changed, but to her surprise she finds they haven’t, he is even more passionate than before.

All is well for a while, until Napoleon strikes again and Harry is called away to battle once more.

Now Laurel finds herself alone and pregnant in a world that spawns such a thing.

When Harry’s uncle, Joshua, steps in and offers to raise the child as his own, Laurel is in no position to refuse and soon she finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage and questioning her husband’s motives.

Why had Harry’s Uncle been so keen to marry a ruined, young woman?

Will Laurel and Harry ever find their happily ever after?

And are Daniel and Laurel’s path’s destined to cross forever more?

Set in 19th Century England, Crown of Laurel is a passionate novel of star-crossed lovers in a time that did not believe in true love over social ascent.

Praise for Lucy Gordon

“A charming historical romance” - Holly Kinsella, best-selling author of Uptown Girl

Lucy Gordon began working life on a British women's magazine, where she interviewed famous men like Sir Roger Moore, Sir Alec Guinness, Warren Beatty, Richard Chamberlain and Charlton Heston. But since 1984, she has been publishing her romance novels – twice winning the Romance Writers of America RITA Award for the Best Traditional Romance. She is now married to a Venetian artist and together, they have lived in different parts of Italy, though currently reside in her native England.