When Rosina's dear friend leapt to her death after the man she loved betrayed her, she vowed vengeance on all men. Rosina declared that no man could be trusted, including Sir John Crosby, member of parliament, whom she had secretly loved since girlhood.Now a debutante, she found herself caught up in a whirl of social activity. An election was imminent and her father, Sir Elroy Clarendon, was favoured to be made a government Minister.Her new friend Lady Doreen, daughter of the Earl of Blakemore was secretly in love with an unknown admirer. To Rosina's dismay he turned out to be Arthur Woodward, the man whose betrayal had destroyed her friend, and whose incriminating letters Rosina possessed.In spite of his threats, she defied him. Sir John, after begging her to stop, tried to protect her. How they dealt with the venomous Woodward, and discovered true love, is told in this romantic novel, the 670th by Barbara Cartland.

When the Marquis of Sherwood declines her invitation to a Society occasion with the scathing comment that he has no wish to spend his time with débutantes, whom he believes are 'half-witted, gauche, stupid and not well-educated', Lady Katherine Wick is incensed. Even more so when she discovers that he apparently prefers the company of the Gaiety Girls, the femmes fatales of the theatrical set.So she resolves to teach him a lesson by enlisting dear friend Lavina Vernon and her most beautiful, talented and witty friends to pose as Gaiety Girls at an unchaperoned party at the Marquis' country mansion – there to prove that Society girls are intelligent as well as glamorous. Kind, demure country parson's daughter Lavina is uncomfortable with this deceit – all the more so as she comes to realise that her heart belongs utterly to the Marquis. The question, once the pretence has been exposed, is whether he will treasure it... Or break it.

Rosella now felt utterly alone and yet she suddenly found herself whispering, “Help me, please, please. Help me!” She thought longingly of Aunt Beatrice. She had missed her terribly, but never so much as at this moment. And for the first time in a long while, she missed her Mama and her Papa, whom she had so few memories of, only their loving voices and the embrace of their arms. She clung onto herself desperately. If only there was someone in the world to hold her, to care for her and speak gentle kind words – Suddenly she felt that someone was watching her, and she looked up to see the portrait of the young man in the turban hanging on the wall above her. “Why are you smiling?” she asked him. “Look at me. I am in such despair!” Her tears welled up in her eyes once again, but then she realised that his smile was not mocking but bold and happy. His bright dark eyes seemed to be comforting and encouraging her. “I care for you – ” he was almost saying.

Sir John Gilmour has received a letter from his old friend Gavron Murillo, who lives in Paris to say that he only has a very short time to live and wants to see him urgently before he dies. Gavron, who was of Oriental appearance and a very rich man, had helped Sir John and his father with their finances when they had been almost on the point of bankruptcy and he had made them very wealthy. When Sir John arrives at Gavron's bedside, the old man tells him that his dying wish is that he should marry his daughter, the beautiful Melita. Sir John feels that he cannot refuse the old man after all he had done for him and his father, although he is extremely surprised as he had no idea that Gavron had ever married. Melita, who had been living in a Convent in Thailand after her mother had died giving birth to her, is notified to travel to Paris immediately. When Sir John meets her and tells her what he had promised her father, Melita says that she only wants to marry for love. It is then...

Have you ever been so desperate that you would do literally anything for money? This is the tragic situation Giselda finds herself in, with no money for an operation her younger brother desperately needs to save his life, and no one to turn to. Ground down by poverty she plucks up her courage to offer the only thing she has of value – her purity. Choking back her pride and knowing that she is about to forfeit his respect, she approaches her wealthy employer, the handsome Earl of Lyndhurst, who is recovering from his injuries sustained in the Battle of Waterloo. Appalled that this frail and innocent young girl should be faced with such a terrible decision, he vows to find a way to help her without offending her dignity. He knows she would never accept his charity, and she refuses to confide in him the reasons for her family's poverty. Intrigued by the air of mystery about a girl of obvious quality reduced to the role of maidservant, the Earl decides to discover why a beautiful young woman of strong principles has been reduced to such extreme measures.Discovering her to have gentle hands and wonderful nursing skills he employs her as his private nurse and turns his sharp mind to uncovering her secrets – and learns his own lessons in love in the process.

Lost in a woodland daydream, cherubic eighteen-year-old Anita Lavenham is awoken from a reverie inspired by a sermon about the Devil by the sonorous voice of a handsome gentleman asking her to open the gate she's leaning on – a gentleman whose imperious, yet raffish air leads her to think that he is Lucifer personified!Anita and her two sisters are impoverished after the loss of their father and their Mama's illness – and soon she is obliged to go to live in Harrogate with her severe Great-Aunt Matilda, who, to Anita's chagrin, is determined to marry her off as soon as possible to the ageing and boorish local Parson.It seems she is fated to a life of misery until, by chance, she meets the Dowager Duchess of Ollerton at the Harrogate Pump Room where, to her amazement she realises that the Duchess's son is none other than her very own handsome fallen angel!Blessed by the kindness of the Duchess, who rescues Anita from the prospect of a loveless marriage and...

Young, handsome and very rich the Marquis of Harlington has just ended yet another unsatisfactory love affair that has left him feeling bored with women and resigned to the fact that true love simply does not exist amongst the upper class echelons of London, which are his usual habitat.Casting around for a speedy escape route he is offered the prefect exit when the Prime Minister asks him to travel to Egypt and report on the Suez Canal, which is currently under construction. Delighted, the Marquis visits his neighbour, Lord Durham, and is horrified to overhear him threatening to beat his daughter Delisia unless she agrees to an arranged marriage with an ugly, but rich French Comte.Leaving Lord Durham's house in a state of moral outrage, the Marquis is aware that there is a blue ribbon peeping out of the box at the back of his chaise but decides not to investigate until he is well away from the wrath of Lord Durham. Upon discovering the beautiful Delisia, who is the owner...

Anastasia is about to be married, which should be the most exciting day of any young girl's life. Pretty, impulsive and wise beyond her years it seems that the young Princess will make an ideal bride for one lucky man. There is only one flaw in the wedding plans – she is not in love with her bridegroom.Commanded to marry by Queen Victoria, Anastasia is horror struck at the thought of an arranged marriage. Having dreamt of true love since childhood, she despairs that a marriage based on political allegiance can ever be a happy one. Especially when her bridegroom, the handsome King of Maurona, is reputed to have a preference for anything French, including the seductive wife of Maurona's French ambassador.Determined to do her duty, Anastasia prepares to meet her future husband just days before their wedding. The roar of the assembled crowd tells her that she has won the love and approval of the people, but will she ever have the love of their King?As passions and...

When the handsome Marquis of Swayne is injured in a nasty carriage accident, his servants carry him to the house of the local physician, where he is nursed back to health by Doctor Winsford's beautiful eldest daughter, Rowena. On his way to recovery the Marquis is surprised to find that the family is unable to provide the fine food and drink he is used to and discovers that the household and its children are considerably impoverished by the doctor's over-generosity to his poorer patients and anyone else he feels sorry for. And immediately the Marquis sets about remedying the situation.Almost at first sight the Marquis falls in love with Rowena, and she with him, and it seems that all her dreams of love and happiness have come true until she is horrified and disillusioned to find that the Marquis's excessive obsession with his family name and social status means that he will not marry her. Instead he means to keep Rowena in a luxurious house in London as his mistress. With her...

The Viscount Frome is in love, and intends to marry Claribel Stamford, belle of the Social Set, as quickly as possible. She is young, beautiful, charming and rich – in fact he considers her the perfect match. The only drawback is that he needs the permission of his uncle, the Duke of Alverstrode before he can propose.The Duke, a more cautious man experienced in the wiles of aspirational young women, suggests a visit to Claribel's home to meet her doting father Sir Jarvis, the well known race-horse owner. That way, the Duke can get to know Claribel and her father and set his mind at rest before welcoming her into his illustrious family.Impressed by Stamford Towers, but eager to escape the heady charm offensive of Claribel and her father, the Duke cannot shake the instinct that something is not right and remains on his guard.Even so, he is shocked to discover a sad young woman, Giona, alone watching the sunset over the magnificent gardens. He is astonished to...

Lord Robert Templeton is adamant that the responsibilities of his newly inherited Earldom are not for him. Leaving his family home, Ledbury Hall, in the capable hands of his younger brother, Alec, he plunges headfirst into the heady delights of London nightlife.But his carousel of gambling, drinking and selfish pleasure is cut short and he is forced to return to home. Disenchanted by the society beauties that relentlessly pursue his handsome face and title, and willfully ignoring the attentions of an attractive but overbearing widow, the Earl swears that he will never marry.Feeling doomed to a life in the country, the Earl is delighted by his timely reacquaintance with Miranda Whitby, a childhood friend who once saved his life. Beautiful, capable and determined, Miranda inspires the Earl to plan for the future of his estate. As their friendship deepens and the Earl eagerly shoulders the responsibilities he once shirked, he is reminded of a promise he made Miranda many...

It then suddenly struck Arliva with a feeling of horror that maybe she would never find anyone who would love her for herself. She wanted the love her father and mother had had for each other which was why he had never married again, although at times he must have been very lonely. ‘I just want to be loved for myself,’ she thought. ‘I don’t want anyone who pretends to care for me because they want my money or anything else I possess.’ Yet she could not stop herself worrying that it was something she might never find. She felt as if her money was encircling her with tight cords that would prevent her from ever knowing the meaning of real love, the love that everyone wanted, the love of a man and a woman simply because he was the other half of herself. ‘That is what I want,’ Arliva said to herself, ‘but because I am so rich it is a gem I will never find. Even if I want to believe a man loves me I will be quite certain that he will be grasping for that great fortune which exists in my name. Oh, please God, what shall I do?’ The prayer came directly from her heart.

“Do you really think that I would want to marry a man who is old enough to be my grandfather? The answer is quite simply ‘no’.” Cyril Warner sat back in his chair. “Are you really so stupid, Eleta, as to think that is your final word?” “Of course it’s my final word. Have him on your Board, which I am sure is a very wise move, but I have no intention of marrying an old man and certainly not one who is marrying me for my money!” There was silence for a moment and then he said, “You have forgotten one thing.” “What can that be?” Eleta asked suspiciously “That I am your Guardian by Law,” her stepfather replied, “and you have to obey me until you are twenty-one. That, as I ascertained this morning, does not happen for nine months and by then you will be on my instructions married to the Duke of Hazelware.” Eleta stared at him. “Do you really intend to force me up the aisle with someone I have no wish to marry, an old man who is marrying me for what I possess and not for myself?”