A Lady of Quality & His Grace of Osmonde

'A Lady of Quality' - Set in the 17th century England, the novel relates the life of young Clorinda, girl raised by her harsh and utterly disreputable father. He forces to wear boys clothes, teaches her to ride horse like a man, her language is crass and her behavior is unconventional for a lady. Tired of such life, Clorinda decides she must change if she wants to attract a decent man and provide a decent life for herself. When she does meet a man she thinks is good for her, the trouble appears in the form of a former lover she no longer wants. 'His Grace of Osmonde' is the sequel to A Lady of Quality. Duke Gerald of Osmond is a well-built, handsome, gracious, and kind nobleman who has all the gifts nature can bestow. When he sets his eyes on Clorinda for the first time, she is a gorgeous mess - the swearing, boisterous tomboy daughter of a reckless and wasteful father. Gerald is patient, knowing that fate and nature will tame her and bring them together, but he also fears that his futur bride will be ruined by the world before she settles with him.

Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) was a British novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden, although her romantic adult novels were also popular, according to list of bestselling novels in the United States. Burnett was well known in Washington society and hosted a literary salon on Tuesday evenings, often attended by politicians, as well as local literati. She enjoyed socializing and lived a lavish lifestyle. She traveled to England frequently and in the 1890s bought a home there, where she wrote The Secret Garden.