Once Upon a Scandal

A vengeful London cat burglar is blackmailed by her estranged nobleman husband in this enchanting Regency romance.

Desperate and alone, Lady Emma tricked Lucas Coulter, the Marquess of Wortham, into a hasty marriage. But on their wedding night, when he learned the truth about his not-so-innocent bride, he abandoned her.


Seven years later, Emma lives in disgrace with her beloved daughter, Jenny. Penniless, Emma provides for her child in the one way she knows how: in the dark of night, she creeps across the rooftops of London and steals jewels from the wealthy nobles who have wronged her.


Then Lucas catches her in a daring act of burglary. And he proposes a devil's bargain—give him an heir . . . or be exposed. Vowing to hide the devastating secret in her past, Emma agrees to share her husband's bed, never dreaming this cold stranger has become a skilled seducer who will sweep her into a world of peril and passion . . .

"Every time Barbara Dawson Smith writes a book, she creates a beautiful, heartwarming masterpiece that fills the soul and stimulates the heart. Once Upon a Scandal is a marvelous love story . . . This future classic is a keeper that is destined to be re-read many times, especially when the reader needs an emotionally uplifting experience." —Affaire de Coeur