London Socialite and friend of King George IV, the Duke of Strathnarn enjoys his London life is reluctant and resentful when he inherits from his hated father the title – and onerous responsibilities – of Chieftain of the Clan McNarn.Arriving bitterly angry in the highland fiefdom he fled as a youth, he's faced with a terrible dilemma. To free his young nephew and heir from the clutches of his Clan's mortal enemies, the Kilcraigs, he must marry Clola, the daughter of their fearsome Chieftain. Appalled, he complies with bad grace, but refuses even to look his young bride in the face, so certain is he that she will be coarse, uneducated and unattractive, so unlike the sophisticated beauties with whom he is wont to dally in London Society.Soon, however, a terrifying plot against the King involving a sinister poisoner and her deranged and vengeful son unfolds – and it is Clola, aided by a ghostly Grey Lady, who comes to the rescue. Only now, after so...

Lively Leonora Cressy and her school friend, Isobel, have sworn never to fall in love. They prefer learning and books to men and scorn other girls whose heads are full of storybook romance. But Leonora is suddenly plucked from the safety of her all girls' school and thrown into an adventure that forces her to reconsider her childhood vows.Returning home to meet the new stepfather who has taken her beloved father's role as protector and provider, Leonora has two fateful encounters – one with an arrogant gentleman in a carriage, and one with a suave but appealing foreigner, Señor de Guarda.Excited and angered in equal parts, Leonora is shocked to discover that her sweet Mama has married a man that she cannot admire. Horrified when he announces that he has arranged her marriage to a wealthy but unknown man, Lord Merton, she swaps the comfort of home for a passage on a cargo ship headed for Brazil, and her friend Isobel.As the long voyage begins, Leonora...

When her sister, Denise, seven years her senior, and her husband Alistair drowned in a storm at sea, the beautiful nineteen-year-old Pepita Linford is left alone to cope with the care of their young children, Rory and Jeanie, as well as Alistair's huge amount of debts.Exiled from his Scottish Clan for ever by his father, the Duke of Strathnairn, because he dared to marry an Englishwoman against his wishes they then settled in Hertfordshire. Alistair had been deprived of his allowance from his father and had lived on a fast-dwindling legacy from his mother.Virtually destitute Pepita has no choice but to travel to Scotland to throw herself and the children on the mercy of the Duke of Strathnairn.But sadly His Grace, consumed with hatred for the English, is not in the slightest pleased to see them, but grudgingly agrees that they can stay at his imposing Castle for a short while.Pepita is at once aware of the hostility and dislike of the Duchess of Strathnairn, who...

Davina is the younger daughter of Lord Shelford and she has fallen for an actor who did not meet her father's approval. He has banished her from London to his newly acquired country seat, Priory Park, where Davina felt lonely, but not for long.She soon meets the Delverton brothers who live nearby, and also their mysterious companion, Jed Barker.There are dark secrets surrounding Priory Park and the Delverton family, but Davina cannot help becoming attracted to the handsome Lord Delverton despite his indifference to her. Under pressure from her father, she announces her engagement to the younger brother, Howard, only to find him equally cold and detached.There have been a spate of robberies in the neibourhood and suspicion falls on the local gypsies. Davina meets the beautiful and sensuous Esmé, not realising what a strong influence she will have on her future happiness.Despite herself, Davina finds she is in a most precarious position and in great danger from the...

Even amid the genteel grandeur of Venice, the Marquis of Wynchcombe's ennui is undiminished. His fiery mistress Francesca, a beautiful and flamboyant Venetian actress, bores him almost as much as the company of the Beau Monde and royal acolyte with whom he associates.So when an impoverished but delicately alluring young Englishwoman – Lucia – accosts him at a café and beseeches him to peruse the painting of her dying father, he is intrigued – more so when he realises that Lucia's father is a genius... But then he dies.Lucia is distraught and destitute but the Marquis saves her from penury by buying her father's every painting, promising to take her home to England. Enraged by her beau's apparent infatuation with the young ingénue, Francesca stabs him with a stiletto... But it's Lucia who has truly pierced his heart and stolen his soul – and just as the Marquis thinks she will be his forever, she delivers the heartbreaking words: 'Although I love...

When the imperious Alston, Marquis of Falcon cynically announces that he is interested in marrying his daughter in order to gain a Royal appointment, the Earl of Warnborough is thoroughly pleased.There would be many benefits to being part of his far richer neighbour's family and estates! But the beautiful Mirabel is already betrothed and so is Deirdre, albeit secretly, which leaves only Elmina, the youngest and the Cinderella of the Warne family.Nevertheless they are all shocked when she shyly says that she will be happy to marry the dashing Marquis.But not as stunned as her new husband when she repels his wedding night advances with an expert Karate move!Self-educated and schooled in the martial and equine arts, Elmina blossoms inwardly and outwardly with an unusual allure of her own.And she prays that her handsome new husband will come to love her for herself. But, when she is kidnapped by murderous horse thieves, it seems that she will die without knowing the...

The beautiful Vanora is helping her uncle, Lord Blairmond the distinguished Statesman who lives in London, to write his autobiography, when she has an urgent call from her brother, Ewen, to return immediately to Scotland. He has just become Chieftain of the McKyle Clan and she wonders why he wants her. The McKyles have for years fought with the MacFiles whose Chieftain is the Earl of Glenfile. The Earl has also returned to Scotland because his father is dying and he has been tricked and deceived by two women he has been having affaires-de-coeur with in London He comes to the decision that he will never fall in love again and trusts no one. Vanora finds when she reaches Scotland that her brother wants her to steal back from the MacFiles the sacred Stone of the Clan McKyle, whose Chieftains have used it down the centuries when they accepted the allegiance of their Clansmen. Ewen has seen that the Earl is advertising for a librarian and thinks that is a good excuse to get his...

When fog leaves the Duke of Marazion stranded at a bleak inn, he soothes his restless soul with a brandy, a book and a roaring fire. A glittering figure amongst London Society, the rich and handsome Duke has everything he could ever want – apart from true love. As he sits, determined to continue his journey as soon as possible, he cannot foresee the consequences of answering a late night knock at his door.Astonished to find a young woman alone and in distress, he naturally takes on the role of her rescuer. Calming her frightened tears, he discovers that lovely runaway, Ilitta, is not only a talented artist but also a perceptive girl whose judgment he can immediately trust.Offering his protection and an introduction into the coveted London art world in exchange for her instinctive response to his new business partners, they set off together. As refreshing as a spring morning in comparison to the worldly-wise beauties he usually spends time with, the Duke is amused...

Then, as Aisha pulled back the curtain to place the hanger onto the rail, she gave a scream of horror. Hiding behind the curtain was Arthur Watkins! He stepped out smiling and crowed, “You thought you were free of me, pretty lady, but I don’t give up so easily.” As he spoke, he seized her arm. Then he placed one hand over her mouth so that she could not scream again. Arthur Watkins had actually been thinking all day of how he could be in touch with what he had decided was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. He had always moved in a Society where money was much more important than breeding or education and, because he was so rich, he was used to having any interest he showed in a woman reciprocated. Because Aisha had avoided him, she had set him a challenge and a challenge was something that he had never refused or ignored in his busy and successful life.

The dashing Marquis of Oakenshaw is asked by the Foreign Secretary to visit Siam to reassure the King who has been upset by Britain and France quarrelling over the frontiers.Wealthy, handsome and a confirmed bachelor, the Marquis asks several friends to accompany him on his yacht to stave off the boredom of the long journey, including the latest Social Beauty – the recently widowed Lady Bradwell.At the last moment, Lady Bradwell, having accepted excitedly, finds herself without a lady's maid. Her cousin Tarina, also very beautiful but extremely poor, agrees to come with her under a disguised name.How Tarina learns for the first time of the intrigues and temptations of Society but how she also lifts her eyes to the stars is told in this romance novel by Barbara Cartland.

The beautiful Lady Celita Dale, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Langdale, is dismayed to hear that her best friend Judy's father, Lord Waterforde, intends to marry his daughter off against her will to the Duc de Sahran who lives in the exotic South of France and whom she has never even met. Worse still, Judy is secretly in love with a charming young man called Clive Cunningham. Despatched to Provence to meet the Duc at his Fairy tale château the two girls are in despair until the resourceful Celita colludes with the dashing Duc in a subtle deception. To appease Lord Waterforde instead of proposing to Judy, the Duc declares his undying love for Celita, thus freeing Judy to marry her beloved Clive. The ruse appears to work until the Duc's jealous former lover lures Celita into mortal danger. Just as she realises that she has lost her heart to the handsome Frenchman, she is also about to lose her life –

Prince Nicolo of Vienz is irritated by his family and his Prime Minister continually begging him to be married for the sake of his country and to prevent it being taken over by a neighbour.He finally agrees to meet Princess Marziale, the daughter of the ruler of Bassanz. However when she arrives, the Prince learns by accident that she is very much in love with the Comte who had been sent to escort her to Vienz.Because the Prince has no wish to marry anyone, least of all someone who is in love with another man, he runs away to Venice without anyone, except his valet, Texxo, knowing that he is leaving the Palace.He orders Texxo to look after the horses at a hotel, while he hires a gondola to explore Venice.On his way down one of the canals the Prince is suddenly aware that a young girl is leaning out of the window of a grand house.Then he sees to his surprise that she is deliberately letting herself down by a rope into the canal.Thinking quickly he moves his...

The tenth Earl of Narbrooke is a miser. He is obsessed with money and is prepared to starve himself as well as his household and will not give a penny to his family even though he is the Head of it. He has locked himself away in his vast mansion and neglects the estate until it becomes a disgrace. Colonel Euan Campbell, who had been wounded in the War with Napoleon, is very hard-up and accepts the position of managing the Earl's horses. He is given a cottage for his wife and his daughter, Devona, aged thirteen. The Colonel is killed by a wild horse that the Earl insists on buying because it was cheap and, as they are destitute, Mrs. Campbell and Devonia are taken into the big house so that they can help the servants although they are not paid. Mrs. Campbell dies of pneumonia in the unheated house while Devona stays on. Then one morning the miserly Earl is found dead from a stroke and Devona sends a message to the next Earl who lives in London. Before he arrives, however, she...

The Marquis of Wynstanton had become involved with one of the beauties of London Society – Locadi, Lady Marshall and when her husband died unexpectedly, the Marquis set out on a long journey to India and Nepal, as he wished to avoid any gossip arising about their liaison.After his return, he resumed the affair, staying on in London for some time when he should have gone straight to Wyn Castle and his country estate.Then he began to suspect that Locadi was using black magic to entice him to her and to induce him to propose marriage.Almost in a panic the Marquis returned to his estate, which he had neglected for so long only to find to his horror that he had been cheated by the manager he had left in charge.At Wyn Castle he meets Flora Romilly, the daughter of a distinguished author. She is known locally as the White Witch, because she can heal ailments with plants and leaves from her herb garden and has worked wonders with his grandmother's rheumatism.How Flora despises...