Part of Series
Lucy, Lady Wymonde, reluctantly agrees to her husband’s request that she would chaperone his innocent orphaned young niece, Ina, for her first Season as a debutante. It was infuriating to have to take another guest with her to Chale Hall, the Marquis of Chale’s majestic stately home in the country, but that it should be a lovely young girl made it worse. It was not a question of her being a rival, that was not what Lucy feared. It was that Ina would be completely out of place in what was to be her party given her by the Marquis, whom Lucy has become infatuated with and it is only a matter of time before they begin an affaire-de-coeur. Little does she know what an innocent threat the beautiful Ina will soon become! Having reluctantly left her Bohemian background and a family friend’s villa near Nice with her devoted lady’s maid, Ina is bewildered by the sophisticated Society world of London and rather in awe of the handsome Marquis. But soon, to Lucy’s fury, the Marquis is smitten by Ina’s untainted beauty and the almost clairvoyant perceptiveness by which she seems to see deep into his soul. Ina too is entranced and, despite her aunt’s attempts to pair her off with over-eager and unattractive suitors, she too is falling in love.
Author
Dame Mary Barbara Hamilton Cartland was a English writer, during her long career, she wrote over 700 books, making her one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century. She sold over 1,000 million copies throughout the world, earning her a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The world's most famous romantic novelist, she also wrote autobiographies, biographies, health and cookery books, and stage plays and recorded an album of love songs. She was often billed as the Queen of Romance, and became one of the United Kingdom's most popular media personalities, appearing often at public events and on television, dressed in her trademark pink and discoursing on love, health and social issues. She started her writing career as a gossip columnist for the Daily Express. She published her first novel, Jigsaw, a society thriller, in 1923. It was a bestseller. She went on to write myriad novels and earn legions of fans, she also wrote under her married name Barbara McCorquodale. Some of her books were made into films. Ever the romantic, during WWII, she served as the Chief Lady Welfare Officer in Bedfordshire. She gathered as many wedding dresses as she could so that service brides would have a white gown to wear on their wedding day. She also campaigns for the rights of Gypsies, midwives and nurses. Barbara Cartland McCorquodale passed away on 21 May 2000, with 160 still unpublished manuscripts, that are being published posthumously.
