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The Dedicated Villain

 "I know what I'd do in the matter, but I'm a dedicated villain."

Time: Late Autumn 1746

Foreign Titles: Kein echter Schurke German

Synopsis:
HOW THE DEVIL COULD A FELLOW MAKE LOVE TO A GIRL WHO GIGGLED WHEN HE TRIED TO KISS HER?!

Fiona Bradford was more amused than offended by handsome Roland Fairleigh Mathieson's passionate ardour. He was acting, she suspected--a talent that seemed to come quite naturally as he managed to wangle his way into the caravan of traveling actors led by Fiona's father.

Indeed, everyone had a part to play. The troupe was actually a band of Jacobite sympathizers secretly transporting Bonnie Prince Charlie's treasure. And Roland, a self-professed rake, duellist, soldier of fortune, and dedicated villain--who had every intention of profiting from these turbulent times--planned to steal the loot for himself.
That is, until he encountered the charming, unpredictable, and thoroughly confounding Fiona ....


Alternate Synopsis:
Roland Fairleigh Mathieson, the notorious rake who appeared in earlier volumes of The Golden Chronicles, returns in a new role as hero of this final volume of Patricia Veryan's highly acclaimed series of romantic adventures set in Georgian England. Known to friends and enemies alike as the elusive Otton, the hero of The Dedicated Villain has successfully profited from a politically turbulent period in British history, using the Jacobite rebellion to further his own mercenary plans. A dedicated ladies' man, Mathieson has never claimed to be loyal to anyone but himself, and has taken great pains to remain anonymous whenever possible.

While traveling through the countryside in secret, Mathieson is taken in by a caravan of actors, and he wins the wary acceptance of the troupe when his quick tongue prevents several suspicious soldiers from discovering the real purpose behind their journey.

But it is Fiona Bradford, the charming and unpredictable daughter of the troupe's leader, who persuades Mathieson to stay on with them. Accustomed to the attentions of scores of women, Mathieson is unprepared for Fiona Bradford. She forces him to reconsider his allegiances in this throughly satisfying conclusion to The Golden Chronicles by the author whom Library Journal caled "the superstar of the period romance."


Foreign Synopses:
Die schöne Fiona Bradford hat sich als Schauspielerin verkleidet und zieht zusammen mit ihrem Vater und einigen Freunden als fahrende Truppe durch das Land. In Wahrheit jedoch wollen sie den Schatz der Jakobiten finden und in Sicherheit bringen. Als der selbstsüchtige Roland Otton zu ihnen stößt, sind Fionas Begleiter alles andere als begeistert von diesem Draufgänger. Fiona jedoch hält Roland von Anfang an für einen Helden, der seine Großmutter und seine Tapferkeit hinter einem großspurigen Gehabe verbirgt. Zunächst aber sieht es so aus, als habe sich das schöne Mädchen in seinem Begleiter getäuscht... (German)


Main Characters:
Fiona Bradford
Roland Fairleigh Mathieson (aka Otton)
Thaddeus Heywood
Robert MacTavish
Lady Clorinda Ericson
Duke of Marbury

Rating: (out of 5)


Reviews:
"A writer of incomparable magic, Ms. Veryan rises to new heights of glory with this searing probe deep into a man's soul. Her matchless perception of the gallantry and courage of the loving heart puts her in a class by herself." Romantic Times

"The magic of Patricia Veryan's books is sprinkled throughout, in the characters, in the delightful animals, by the transforming of a Dedicated Villian into a hero." Joyce Bateman

Quotes:
"St. Thomas!" he pleaded sobbingly. "Help!" But from high in the shadowed buttresses came a faint response, "Gone fishing ..."

Title Significance:
Naught but that in prior books Roland always insists on his villainy.

Trivia:
  • It's very likely that Veryan gave Roland the alias of 'Otton' as a reference to the Chanson de Roland, an 11th century French epic poem that centers around Charlemagne's brave knight Roland and his comrades: Berengar, Gerin, Gerers and ... Otton.
  • Finally in this book, Roland Fairleigh Mathieson (aka Otton) gets his own book.
  • The cover above is drawn by Bob Sabin who has done, to my knowledge, most of the hardback covers to Veryan's books. One of my favorite cover artists, Sabin even manages to get the historical costumes accurate!
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