The Beggar Maid

From Rags to Regency Splendor

Malice Delaney has known hunger, cold hearths, and unsympathetic glares ever since she first set foot on the streets of Georgian London. Orphaned and alone, she ekes out a precarious existence by day, begging for pennies near the grand townhouses of Mayfair, and slipping beneath the velvet skirts of society’s finest at balls and soirees by night—where her beauty and wit catch the eye of Lord Sebastian Fairfax. Dilly Court’s evocative prose transports readers into a world of candlelit parlors, rattling carriages, and secret liaisons, as Malice dares to dream of more than mere survival.

Whispers Behind Lace Fans

When Sebastian offers Malice the unconventional chance to become his ward—and appear as a gentlewoman of modest means—she steps into a glittering realm of silk gowns, powdered wigs, and whispered intrigues. Yet every courtesy shown in the Fairfax household is shadowed by the rigid codes of rank and reputation: jealous debutantes, scheming relatives, and a simmering scandal that could shatter Sebastian’s astute guardianship—and Malice’s fragile hope of belonging. As she learns the art of porcelain teacups and private letters, Malice must navigate betrayals as sharp as the ballroom’s crystal chandeliers and keep her true past hidden beneath every rustle of brocade and hush of a coming footman.

Love’s Unlikely Legacy

As passion blossoms between guardian and ward—measured in stolen glances across dinner tables and midnight confessions beneath the jasmine-scented trellis—Malice confronts the ultimate test: to accept the title of “lady” at the cost of her hard-won independence, or risk returning to the streets she once called home. In a stirring climax beneath the Fairfax estate’s ancient oak, she must decide whether the truest form of riches lies in gilded estates or in the fearless beating of an honest heart.

. Dilly Court is a Sunday Times bestselling author renowned for her richly atmospheric historical sagas, unforgettable heroines, and masterful blend of romance and suspense that brings the past vividly to life.