Heart's Pride

Georgian London 1785. Innocence lies side by side with decadence and debauchery, especially in the royal palace. Even the rich have dark secrets and pure love rarely found strives to overcome the excesses of the day. Poets seek muses. Cads seek chastity. Actresses seek rich patrons. Few seek unselfish devotion. Only the worthy, the noble, the eternal lovers can survive. Three poor sisters-Arabel, Maria and Grace Longe. Three rich brothers-Edward, Peter and William Fitzbruce. All are handsome. All are single. Not all, however, are well behaved. Though wholly different, they find one another in the bustling city of London in 1785, a time of decadence and daring romance. Although from wholly different stations in society, their hearts reach out to one another across the bustling city but in their whirlwind culture emotions are put to dire tests. Both families contend with their own challenges. Arabel struggles to keep her dysfunctional family in order with a mother besieged by addiction, a vain actress sister with dubious morals and another stricken by emotional sensitivity. Edward has a similar family-a callously strict father, a libertine brother and another tortured by poetic angst with a penchant for back street opium. Arabel and Edward need one another to survive. They love one another with a burning desire. Yet carefully constructed lies, sudden death and family honour twist their paths apart. With all odds against them-social class, jealous siblings and cruel fate-can these lovers ever obtain the happiness they deserve?