[Rules of Refinement 02] • Shameless

The Marriage Maker

Rules of Refinement

Noblemen aren’t always honorable… but a rake is always charming

In a narrow lane off Edinburgh’s illustrious Charlotte Square, stands a town house that is not quite as impressive as nearby residences, but remains a place of distinction. An air of quiet dignity is maintained by the courtyard that fronts the street, while privacy is assured by a wrought-iron gateway. This house is Lady Peddington’s School for Young Ladies and is owned and run by Lady Honoria Peddington.

Girls fortunate enough to attend the academy are instructed in all aspects of proper comportment with emphasis on the importance of a pleasing demeanor and appearance, grace and good manners, the skills a lady needs to run a large, well-to-do household, and – of course - the necessity and advantages of an impeccable reputation. Scandal, the girls are warned, must be avoided at all costs.

Lady Peddington’s own reputation is the finest, and all Edinburgh considers her above reproach. She is especially well-loved by the affluent merchants and lesser gentry who live on the fringes of the city’s New Town where she operates her school. These clients appreciate her knack at finding affluent husbands for their daughters. No one suspects that her knowledge of men comes from the long-ago days when she wasn’t Lady Honoria Peddington, but simply Honey Pedding who ran a well-doing Glasgow brothel.

Those skills, though secret, still serve her well, for when her school’s famed graduation balls fail to secure suitable husbands for some of her more high-spirited girls, other gentlemen come to the fore, eager to accept these gems as pampered mistresses. So, however a girl’s heart might lean, Lady Peddington’s School for Young Ladies guarantees happiness for all.

No gentleman falls in love with is mistress… He’s no gentleman

As the daughter of a well known madam, Juliet Thatcher knows more about men than she cares to—which is why she has no intention of following in her mother’s footsteps. Juliet agrees to her mother’s request that she attend Lady Peddington’s School for Young Ladies to prepare her for life as a courtesan. She hopes that the school year will give her time to convince her mother to allow her to pursue a career as a dressmaker, instead.

When Lady Peddington extorts from Juliet a game of cards with notorious rake Duke Hamilton, Juliet knows there’s only one way to deal with a man like him: beat him at cards, then disappear.

Carrick Hamilton, the Duke of Hamilton does not sustain long romances. But Sir Stirling James knows he simply hasn't met a woman hot blooded enough to set his blood--and his heart--on fire. When Stirling challenges him to meet the woman Stirling swears he will marry, Carrick can't resist the challenge.