A seemingly accidental meeting aboard a delayed steam train draws poised university graduate Millicent Minstead into the orbit of Foreign Office operative James Wendover. What begins as polite conversation soon spirals into abduction, espionage, British Nazi sympathisers and dangerous attraction. As Europe edges towards war, the pair must decide whether they can trust each other — and how far they are willing to go for King and country.
1905. An idealistic painter flees London for rural Dorset, convinced genius will one day be recognised. But it is his overlooked wife, Henrietta, who discovers inspiration in an enigmatic ex-soldier while a reckless weekend of absinthe, artists and shattered conventions exposes the gulf between lofty ideals and human desire. In the end, art—not scandal—delivers the greatest surprise.
1881: An imperfect recollection of an Old English Folk Song much embellished. Young Nancy is saved from deception and danger by an unexpected man in a red tunic.
Sally Tew lives in a seaweed hut between land and sea, forgotten by almost everyone. As Southern England waits in fear of Napoleon’s invasion, a violent storm washes a mysterious stranger onto her shore. Saving him forces Sally to confront enemies, danger, and a life she never imagined.
The Hightower family are still grief-stricken by the loss of their two sons in the Great War. It is expected that Estelle, the only surviving Hightower child, will marry and provide an heir to the family title and estate. The prospect holds no attraction for Lady Estelle. Her only interests lie in parties, alcohol, drugs, and heartless affairs with female acquaintances. A young lady’s maid teaches her a lesson in love and duty, while also suggesting a solution to the family’s expectations.
Aunty Grace fought tooth and nail to raise her dead sister’s son into a fine young man. In 1940, on leave from the Navy, Terry finds himself trapped with her in a tiny makeshift air-raid shelter. As death seems imminent, he finally confesses his burning obsession with the only woman he’s ever truly desired. War does strange things to the moral compass.
> 1974. After years of fantasy and role-play, a couple are finally determined to explore the world of Swinging. What begins as curiosity soon becomes far more intoxicating than either of them expected when they meet a seductive, worldly couple from the East. Drawn into an atmosphere of temptation and desire, each discovers a hidden fantasy they never realised was waiting deep inside them.
1978. Dorset is gripped by Country & Western fever, illegal CB radios and cowboy dreams. Respectable couple Norman and Veronica Chant discover that a little harmless flirting over the airwaves can lead to very real consequences. What begins as an innocent game soon spirals into blackmail, unexpected desire and outrageous adventures, proving that in rural Dorset, the Wild West is closer than anyone imagines.
In 1931, as the Great Slump threatens their elegant Swanage guesthouse, Lakmé Crawford hatches a scandalous plan: offer private “educational holidays” to bashful young gentlemen of means. With her husband’s reluctant blessing, the confident 51-year-old becomes tutor in the arts of pleasure. Business flourishes — until a powerful client arrives with demands of his own. Witty, steamy, and deliciously improper.