Books like Betrayed by Arnette Lamb

Sarah MacKenzie has lived all her life believing Lachlan, Duke of Ross, is her father—only to learn, in a shocking revelation, that Neville Smithson, the village sheriff, is the real man who raised her. Heartbroken yet resolute, Sarah decides to escape the Highlands and travel to Edinburgh, where she hopes to open an orphanage that will ease her pain and give children a home. Her plans are complicated by an existing promise to marry Henry Elliot, a young man now jailed for gambling debts. Lady Emily Elliot, Henry’s mother, fiercely protects her family’s legacy and demands Sarah’s hand in marriage to secure the dowry her family desperately needs. When Lady Emily’s second son, Michael, returns from years abroad with the East India Company, she orders him to court Sarah and secure the marriage. Michael quickly becomes drawn to Sarah’s spirit and aids her in her philanthropic goal. The novel intertwines themes of love, betrayal, and social responsibility within a richly detailed Scottish setting, with well‑developed secondary characters adding humor and depth to the story.

First publish date: 1996