Thick as Thieves

I have a new historical novella available today.

THICK AS THIEVES is the third novella in the Bexley-Smythe Quintet. The first two novellas are FLIGHT OF FANCY and RHYME AND REASON.

David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston, will not stand aside while those he loves are hurt. Preston determines his brother-in-law’s guest is up to no good, so he scrutinizes every move of the would-be thief. Not that he minds—Lady Frederica is as beautiful and intelligent as she is enigmatic. Considering her wastrel brother and her proclivity for the less-than-savory, Preston never expected to be won over to the lady’s charms. Yet she just might steal his heart. 

Desperation has become Lady Frederica Bexley-Smythe’s constant companion due to her brother’s affinity for gambling. With the fate of her family resting upon her shoulders, the time has arrived for Freddie to bend the rules. How else can she secure their future? Unfortunately, Lord Preston’s scrutiny complicates her task. Far more perplexing than his perusal is his caring nature, which is more than merely a distraction. But desperate times call for desperate measures…

You can purchase THICK AS THIEVES at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, the iBookstore, All Romance eBooks, and Smashwords.

This novella of approximately 25,000 words was originally published in the anthology A PACT BETWEEN GENTLEMEN.

The other authors from the Regency Gentlemen's Pact anthologies are also releasing their novellas separately today, so look for them if you haven't read them yet. They are: A BIT OF MISTLETOE by Ava Stone, LADY DISGUISED by Jane Charles, ALL HE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS by Jerrica Knight-Catania, CHASING LORD MYSTERY by Aileen Fish, and 'TIS THE SEASON FOR SURRENDER by Julie Johnstone.

Pre-Orders, Audio, and More

A Pact Between Gentlemen officially releases on November 1, when it will be available at all retailers. If you purchase your books through iBooks, though, you can be sure it automatically downloads on that day. Here's the link.

My novella, Thick as Thieves, is the third novella in the Bexley-Smythe Quintet. Want to know what Thick as Thieves and the other novellas are about?

In Ava Stone's A Bit of Mistletoe, Everett Casemore, the very serious Marquess of Berkswell, returns home for Christmas, slightly shaken by the death of an old friend. Determined not to suffer the same sort of fate at the hands of a woman, Berks resolves himself to eternal bachelorhood. Unfortunately, both his resolve and his peace of mind are threatened by the arrival of a beautiful, thoughtful, but mostly unsuitable lady. * Miss Theresa Birkin knows better than most that an error in judgment can lead one down an unfortunate path. If only she'd been wiser when she was younger. If only she hadn't followed her foolish heart. If only she'd met Lord Berkswell long before now. 

In Jane Charles's Lady Disguised, Mr. Sebastian Stanwick never intended to marry. It was bad enough that his father gambled away everything they owned and then drank himself to death, leaving his mother broken until she could not go on. But the death of his good friend at the hand of the man’s wife only solidifies Stanwick’s decision to remain a bachelor. Women were simply unpredictable and unstable if not taken care of properly. * Hélène Mirabelle wants few things in life. One, is to perform on the stage, and the other, is to be out from under the roof of her overbearing new family: Lord Bentley and the Trent brothers. Since her mother’s recent passing, Hélène's desire to return to Milan and the stage has only grown. A husband could never fit into the plans because no decent man would take an actress as a wife. * One fateful night leaves Hélène questioning if being an actress is the only thing she wants, while Stanwick begins to wonder whether all women are truly prone to madness and if they are, he may never get Hélène off of his mind. 

In Catherine Gayle’s Thick as Thieves, David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston, will not stand aside while those he loves are hurt. When it becomes clear his brother-in-law’s guest is up to no good, Preston determines to scrutinize every move of the would-be thief. Not that he minds such a task—Lady Frederica is as beautiful and intelligent as she is enigmatic. Considering her close relation to a wastrel brother and her current proclivity for the less-than-savory, Preston never expected to be won over to the lady’s charms. Yet she just might steal his heart. * Desperation has become Lady Frederica Bexley-Smythe’s constant companion due to her brother’s recent affinity for gambling and carousing. With the fate of both her mother and sister resting upon her shoulders, perhaps the time has arrived for Freddie to bend the rules. How else can she secure their future? Unfortunately, Lord Preston’s scrutiny is complicating her task. Far more perplexing than his perusal is his caring nature, which is distracting her from the treasures she intends to steal. But desperate times call for desperate measures…

Also available for pre-order at the iBookstore is the companion anthology, A Gentlemen's Pact.

In Jerrica Knight-Catania's All He Wants For Christmas, Rowan Findley can't imagine a fate worse than what his friend suffered at the hands of his mad wife, so he's made the decision to remain a bachelor for all eternity. That is, until Olivia walks into his cousin's drawing room for a Christmas party. Her fiery red hair and sweet demeanor remind him of a night so many years ago that he would never forget. * Olivia Edwards can't quite believe her eyes when Rowan Findley waltzes back into her life, as handsome and charming as ever. It's been almost seven years since she's seen him, and the secret she's been harboring all that time has her on edge whenever he's about. Yet she can't deny that she's still drawn to him, nor can she deny the desire she's kept hidden in her heart these many years.

In Aileen Fish’s Chasing Lord Mystery, Lord Northcotte is not in the holiday spirit when he joins his sister’s family shortly after the brutal death of a friend. Discovering a matchmaking scheme is afoot, he tells them he will never marry Lady Miriam or any other woman. Now if only his heart would listen. * Lady Miriam’s mother accused her of chasing Lord Mystery after a noble act by a handsome stranger six years ago became the measure of all other men. Now he’s staying at the home where she’d hoped to escape a summons from her grandfather, the Duke of Danby. Terrified Northcotte will recognize her and reveal the contents of the scandalous letter she wrote him years ago, she can’t decide which is the bigger threat: the duke armed with a special license, or Lord Mystery, who carries a secret she’d never live down.

In Julie Johnstone’s ’Tis The Season For Surrender, Lillian Lancaster would rather catch the plague than a husband. Unfortunately, her abusive, recently deceased father’s will stipulates her inheritance hinges upon her marrying a lord. With time running out, Lillian proposes to the guilt-ridden, marriage-adverse Lord Edgeworth after securing his agreement to a marriage in name only. * Edgeworth feels responsible for his former betrothed’s death and believes he doesn’t deserve love, which makes Lillian’s proposal oddly perfect. Commanded by his grandfather to marry by Christmas or become penniless, the obviously perfect choice is a woman who wants nothing to do with him. * When Lillian displays a brave and true heart and Edgeworth reveals his honorable, protective side maintaining a marriage of convenience becomes harder than these two wounded souls imagined. Now, Lillian and Edgeworth must decide if they are courageous enough to risk their hearts and surrender to love.

In other news, the collection THE CAVENDISH BROTHERS, containing both novellas An Unintended Journey and To Enchant an Icy Earl, is available now at the iBookstore.

And finally, the audiobook version of CHARMING AND JUST A BIT DISARMING is out now! You can find it at Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.

More soon!

~Catherine

A Note on My Linked Novella Series

I have a few different series of novellas going, and some of them are linked.

The Devilish Devalles series (currently only The Devil to Pay is available) is not linked to any of my other novellas or novels.

The Cavendish Brothers duo and the Bexley-Smythe Quintet, however, are linked fairly intimately.

The suggested reading order is as follows:

An Unintended Journey
Flight of Fancy
To Enchant an Icy Earl
Rhyme and Reason
Thick as Thieves

As more novellas are released, in these series or in any other series which are similarly related, I will update this post.

How are they linked?

Wesley Cavendish (the hero from An Unintended Journey) and Tristan Cavendish, the Earl of Fordingham (the hero from To Enchant an Icy Earl) are brothers.

Georgie Bexley-Smythe (the heroine from Flight of Fancy) and Mattie Bexley-Smythe (the heroine from Rhyme and Reason) are sisters.

Abby Goddard (the heroine from An Unintended Journey) and Thomas Goddard (the hero from Rhyme and Reason) are sister and brother.

The Duke of Danby (the link to all the stories in the Summons anthologies) makes appearances, whether in person or simply through "off-screen" meddling, in An Unintended Journey, To Enchant an Icy Earl, and Rhyme and Reason.

Georgie and Cedric (Flight of Fancy), and Abby and Wesley (An Unintended Journey) all make appearances in To Enchant an Icy Earl.

Additionally, in my Bexley-Smythe Quintet novella Thick as Thieves (in the anthology A Pact Between Gentlemen), the heroine is Freddie Bexley-Smythe (sister to both Georgie and Mattie). We also see more of Robert Goddard, the eldest Goddard brother here, though he is not the hero of this story. You'll have to wait for that one.

Percy Bexley-Smythe, the Marquess of Stalbridge, is a recurring character in Flight of Fancy, Rhyme and Reason, and Thick as Thieves. He can also be found in Ava Stone's novella My Lord Hercules (part of the anthology A Season to Remember) and in her upcoming novella in A Pact Between Gentlemen.

Rhyme and Reason, Out Now

*throws confetti*

I have a new release! Rhyme and Reason, the second novella in the Bexley-Smythe Quintet, is out now at most ebook retailers and on its way to the others.

The Duke of Danby is matchmaking again.

No matter what his overbearing duke of a grandfather wants, Thomas Goddard has no intention of marrying a high-born lady. He’s the son of Danby’s by-blow, for heaven’s sake, and no gentleman! When yet another letter—complete with yet another marriage license—arrives, Thomas does as any reasonable man would do. He rips the thing to shreds, tosses it over the cliffs, and curses Danby’s name. Regrettably, his shouted curse startles the very lady his grandfather intends for him to marry.

Because of her wayward brother’s numerous and repeated indiscretions, Lady Matilda Bexley-Smythe has just endured yet another Season on the receiving end of both salacious gossip and censorious glances. She’s had all of London Society she can stand, so she intends to find a husband who is unconcerned about her brother’s ne’er-do-well behavior. She settles on the seemingly perfect choice—a gentleman unswayed by gossip—but when Mattie finds herself being carried home in a handsome stranger’s arms, her whole world unravels at the seams.


You can find it now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo. It should be available everywhere else very soon.

As a bonus, there is a sneak peek of the third Bexley-Smythe Quintet novella, Thick as Thieves, which will be available on November 1 as part of the anthology, A Pact Between Gentlemen.