In 1855 New York, Ginger Fitzpatrick has no interest in participating in the newest rage in high society--The Cotillion Ball. That is, until she meets a handsome stranger who has her questioning her staunch beliefs that marriage and feminine equality can't go hand in hand.
The Reluctant Debutante is an historical romance about the introduction of the Cotillion Ball to America, as a means of introducing young ladies of standing into society. The Ball kicked off a season of events that lasted the entire summer, at the end of which most young ladies had met the men who would be their husbands. Ginger Fitzpatrick had no interest in the Ball, or in a future mate. She wanted equal rights for women, and to work alongside her father in his bank. Then, she meets her brother's friend, from St. Louis. Unbeknownst to her and to most of society, Joseph is half-Indian, and is therefore an unsuitable partner. But when true love enters the picture, can anything stand in the way?
Excerpt
New York City, February 1855
Ginger Fitzpatrick was in a pickle, that much was certain.
Her mother took her by surprise at breakfast by announcing to the family that Ginger would participate in the Cotillion ball two months hence. While her younger sisters squealed in excitement, Ginger couldn’t find her voice to object to her mother’s idea. She knew she must, since her father was known to grant every wish his wife had, but Ginger could only stare in confusion. And that wasn’t the worst of it.
“George,” her mother stated calmly to her father while they were seated at the table, ”You need to relieve Ginger of her duties at the bank so I have time to teach her the rules of etiquette she’ll need for a full season of events. Dear Lord, I have only a few months to cram everything in.”
Astonished and stunned, Ginger turned to her father, hanging onto a thread of hope that her valued involvement at the bank would save her.
“Let me think about the best way to handle the shift in responsibility, darling, but I’ll make sure Ginger is free by the end of the week.” He glanced over at Ginger’s stupefied expression and reached across the table for her hand. “Perhaps we could also offer a reward of some kind. Possibly a trip to St. Louis if she gets through the season without incident?”
He had actually smiled over the breakfast table at her. As if the allure of a trip would make everything all right.
Maria, raised in the Mafia and educated by the gangs of New York, is hunting the man who killed her Akalina, and she will kill anyone who gets in her way.
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