A second chance at her stolen future. A first chance at love. A long-held secret that could destroy it all...

England, 1800. Lady Catherine Claverton shed no tears over the death of her cruel father. Banished from his household for her crippled leg, it shocks the young woman to discover he'd deprived her of her late mother's title of Countess. Determined to take back her rightful place, she need only find a husband and bear a son.

Convinced none could ignore her disfigurement and truly cherish her, she proposes a marriage of convenience to the charming and cryptic Captain Avebury. Despite her budding feelings for the naval officer, she's petrified her own tawdry past could rip everything apart. And when she conceives, Lady Catherine fears her skeletons will spell exile for her and the unborn child...

Can Lady Catherine restore her name and secure her rightful destiny?

The Portrait is an authentically written historical novel with a dash of romance. If you like social intrigue, rich period settings, and lively heroines, then you'll adore Cassandra Austen's suspenseful tale.