ROYALIST REBEL is the story of Elizabeth Murray, later Countess Dysart, during the English Civil War; a passionate, determined young woman dedicated to Ham House, the Royalist cause and the three men in her life; her father William Murray, son of a minister who rose to become friend and confidant to King Charles I, the wealthy baronet Lionel Tollemache, her husband of twenty years and John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale, a favourite of Charles II. With her father in Oxford at the exiled court of King Charles I, the five Murray women have to cope alone. Crippled by fines for their Royalist sympathies, and besieged by the Surrey Sequestration Committee, Elizabeth must find a rich, apolitical husband to save herself, her sisters, and their inheritance. Intelligent, witty and beautiful, Elizabeth wasn't born noble; her family's fortunes came from her Scottish father's boyhood friendship with King Charles, but as the heir to Ham House she was always destined for greater things. This novel is certain to delight readers who enjoy stories rich in historical detail, charged with the drama of a young woman's choice between duty and love. REVIEWS: A well-drawn picture of the Royalists' struggle to exist and serve the king under parlimentary rule. Seymour is excellent on the stress and the depredations as normal life disintegrates. Highly recommended for Civil War buffs. Historical Novel Society I don't read many books based on real-life historical characters, and was pleasantly surprised at how ROYALIST REBEL kept me turning the pages eagerly until the very last sentence. Anita Seymour makes an excellent job. Maggi Andersen - writer of historical romance and romantic suspense.
