When Arthur Frederick Armstrong-Jones, the 2nd Earl of Snowdon, dies suddenly in 1984 at the age of thirty-eight, Britain mourns its favorite aristocratic rogue.
Left behind is his widow, Alice Armstrong-Jones, the Countess of Snowdon.
At twenty-eight, beautiful, wealthy and endlessly scrutinized, Alice finds herself transformed overnight from society darling to national scandal. The press speculates about her fidelity. Society whispers she married Arthur for his title. Former friends and family quietly freeze her out.
Seeking refuge, Alice retreats to Foxmere Hall, the crumbling Rutshire estate she inherited from her own family. Once one of the grandest houses in the countryside, Foxmere is now falling apart: leaking roofs, overgrown gardens, shuttered wings and mounting debts.
Alice intends to disappear from public life and live the rest of her life in peace.
Instead she finds herself dragged into the fierce social, political and television battles that dominate Rutshire. Property developers circle Foxmere. Television executives want to exploit her fame. Local aristocrats resent her return. Every eligible man in the county suddenly takes an interest in the young widow.
As Alice fights to save her home, she discovers that grief, love and reinvention are far messier than any royal scandal.
YOU ARE READING
countess; rivals
FanfictionHere in Rutshire, some men offer excitement. Others offer escape. But for a woman who has spent ten years being looked at, being understood is far more dangerous. OC Rivals || Rupert Campbell-Black & Declan O'Hara
