Courtship by Combat
  • Reads 4,194
  • Votes 258
  • Parts 27
  • Time 9h 2m
  • Reads 4,194
  • Votes 258
  • Parts 27
  • Time 9h 2m
Ongoing, First published Sep 02, 2017
Historical context:
By the time the Powers had caged Napoleon Bonaparte (Boney) his armies had ravaged all Europe. Only little England remains unscathed but for her soldiers. Her citizens were only touched emotionally. Soldiers return to crowds of hero-worshipers. The younger brother of the guillotined Louis 16th is propped up on the throne of France vacated by the Emperor Napoleon. But the ogre's old Grande Armee  chafes on the bit of idleness and King Louis's aristocrats pant for revenge.

Story:
Peacetime is no more tranquil than wartime for some families. 
The Darnleys are in debt. What is the solution? Their children must marry money. But while showing obedience, the siblings form their own ideas. Could the perfect partners fall for them? Could they fall for the perfect partners? Do perfect partners even exist? 
Politics refuses to bury the past. Covered intrigues and grudges must surface. Secrets decades old collide and rock foundations. Reputation and wealth is everything. War might return.

Extract: 
 "You are three-and-twenty and have been nine months in the army. You are inclined to kick up larks, gamble, game, bet, and flirt with actresses. You want taming. In a few words, you want a wife. Our house is on a financial precipice. Any gust of wind could push us onto the rocks below. We want wealth. Look about you at this season's debutants. Neglect the belles backstage. Look around you with a keen and serious eye. Before you have only inspected society beauties with a mind for dalliance. Now inspect them for the qualities that might suit you in a wife. I cannot dictate them. You are familiar with your own tastes. Let her be decent. Let her be comely and, above all, let her be wealthy."
   Completing this speech, Lord Darnley placed his fingertips together and awaited his son's response with a touch of his former anxiety.
All Rights Reserved
Sign up to add Courtship by Combat to your library and receive updates
or
#105political
Content Guidelines
You may also like
In Magician's Embrace [BOOK 1 of Price Family Saga] by Sylvia-Norcroft
63 parts Complete Mature
Eliza Price, daughter of the Duke of Hertfordshire, finds herself entangled in a web of suitors, rejecting one potential partner after another. A marriage with the esteemed Duke of Kent appears to be her path forward, until an enigmatic figure, Mr. Magician, captivates her heart. Not only does he possess an irresistible charm, but he stands as the sole gentleman in all of London who dares to resist her allure. Meanwhile, the Marquess St. Arcey, perceiving Eliza as the embodiment of a femme fatale, cannot bear the thought of her belonging to another. His ardent pursuit of her heart and hand further complicates matters. To exacerbate the predicament, the fate of Eliza's family fortune hangs precariously in the balance. The crucial documents that substantiate their ancestral estates and noble title are hidden within a chest, found by the royal historian. Tragically, the historian meets an untimely demise, and the chest mysteriously vanishes, leaving all clueless about its whereabouts. The historian's demise summons the long-standing rivals of the Price family - the Grays - who descend upon London with their agenda. Amongst them is the haughty Lord Daniel Gray, driven by a deep-seated desire for retribution stemming from an ancient transgression that saw his family's property pass into the hands of the Prices. His presence in Eliza's life becomes an omen of unfortunate events, marked by searing insults unleashed each time their paths cross. Will Eliza navigate this maelstrom of emotions and choices to find her ultimate happiness? And who shall claim the chest concealing the Price family's fortunes? The answers lie within the endless dance of fate, as Eliza's journey unfolds against the backdrop of Georgian society, where love, rivalry, and the pursuit of ancestral legacies intertwine in unexpected ways. TRIGGER WARNING: MATURE CONTENT! Awards: AMBYS 2023 WINNER | Romance Reads 2024 Honorable Mention
The Subtle Art of Love and War by rollenjoy03
51 parts Complete Mature
COMPLETED. MATURE CONTENT. ______________________________________ Stubborn heiress to the Langford fortune has been arranged to be wed to the powerful heir of the Fiennes fortune. Two extremely rich and powerful houses set to be united as one in marriage in six months time. Josephine Langford is as stubborn as a bull and no one can make her change her mind about something she doesn't believe herself, so when her parents told her about being betrothed to another powerful family's heir, she throws a fit and demands that the arrangement be called off. Her parents' refusal to cancel the wedding forces her to take extreme measures. She knows this marriage isn't about love but all about fortifying their family's wealth. She detested this part of her charmed life. Somehow, she needs to find a way to put an end to this medieval arrangement between the Langfords and the Fiennes. She's an extremely private person and with the help of their family's wealth and connections, barely any picture of her and her identity has ever landed in the internet and publications. This gives her the idea to get the full dirt on this Hero Fiennes-Tiffin she is set to marry without him knowing that he is actually put under a microscope. As far as her research goes, the guy is nothing but a ruthless tycoon by day and a complete player by night but she isn't one to judge a person by what the internet or newspapers and magazines say-those can easily be fabricated-whereas if she gets to see firsthand who this guy really is and what possible proofs she can gather to convince her parents to cancel the engagement, it would be the best and really the only option she has. Two months. She has two months to get to know the guy before their wedding is announced to the whole world. Two months of pretension and deception. Two months and she'll finally be free of this madness.
You may also like
Slide 1 of 9
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰'𝓼 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮 cover
In Magician's Embrace [BOOK 1 of Price Family Saga] cover
Lady Whittaker Wages War cover
1816: the Grandest Tour cover
Deceiving the Viscount cover
Just to Have You (Blackwood & Friends #3) cover
Inconveniences cover
The Subtle Art of Love and War cover
How To Unlock A Duke's Heart cover

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰'𝓼 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮

38 parts Complete

"Have you ever loved anyone?" his tone was serious. "Love has many forms. I loved my mother and father..." I trailed off, hoping he would not catch on to my lie. "A blatant lie. You had no parents... Did you?" "How did you kno-" he cut me off. "I didn't, but now I do." he smirked, "You must have an affinity for telling lies, Miss Rosalie. Leads me to wonder what else it is you lie about." "I'll return to my room now." I turned away. "Why so eager to leave my company?" he pouted. "I thought I'd made it clear that I am not fond of it." I gave the King an irritated glare. "My dear, the more you say it, the less genuine it sounds." he turned, making his way back to the palace. ~~~~~~~~~~ King George III x OC ~~~~~~~~~~ Serving in the French army as the only female soldier made Rosalie Alcott determined to prove herself. So much so, that her life became something she was willing to risk. But when a sudden betrayal leaves her imprisoned, she is forced to reevaluate her priorities. Incarcerated, and awaiting nothing but death, she will be surprised to find something altogether unexpected - love - in the most unlikely of places, and in the most unlikely of people.