A REGENCY ROMANCE WITH A DIFFERENCE

He extended his hand, and Clara looked at it, knowing that to take it meant either heaven or hell, but she had no idea which.
"Will you marry me?"
It was then that she made a terrible mistake, because she had been holding tears inside at the thought that Gabriel had ruined himself, at the thought that she could no longer be his, at the fear of losing him and at the greater fear of sinking into penury.
Clara let out a breath that was like a laugh and said, "But you must understand, I can't marry you now!"


It is 1803, during the regency of Prince John of Portugal, a man who never wanted to reign.

Clara Moreira Tavares must marry well; her mother tells her that is why she was born beautiful.
But Clara loves the handsome Gabriel Almada de Castro, second son to the Marquis de Vargas.
When the Marquis disinherits proud Gabriel for loving Clara, she must refuse his proposal, convinced that they will not be able to make their way in the world. Gabriel disappears without a word.
Four years later Napoleon is about to invade Portugal, and the regent decides to flee with his court to the biggest of his colonies, Brazil.
Clara and her family go with him, to an entirely new life in a wild, untamed country.
In Rio de Janeiro she meets Gabriel again, to find that she still loves him. This time she accepts his proposal: he has managed to amass a fortune in a very short time.
Gabriel and Clara embark toward his vast estate in the interior, but a letter sent from Lisbon will shatter their happiness, and an abyss will open between husband and wife.

A Regency Romance in which passion matters a lot more than manners.

Note: a few sex scenes, though not graphic