Just eighteen, beautiful and intelligent, Yola Beauharnais lives a blessed Fairy tale life at her magnificent family castle on the Loire. Then her grandmother announces that she has been promised in marriage by her late beloved father to the Marquis de Montereau. Yola is appalled. She has heard of the Marquis, who, although handsome and sophisticated, has a reputation in Paris as a rake, socialite and 'ladykiller'. How could she possibly marry such a man, one who wants her only for her castle and the extensive estate? Determined to marry only for true love, wherever she may find it, Yola is helped by her father's mistress and travels 'undercover' to Paris in the guise of a woman of questionable morals to meet the notorious Marquis and find out for herself whether he might fall in love with her as herself and for herself only. Or whether she must betray her father's dying wish and refuse her unwanted suitor. On meeting the Marquis in her disguise, Yola finds that there is much more to him than his reputation suggests and, as love blossoms between them, she comes to bitterly regret her deception. Will she really find her true love or will she be condemned to live a life of disappointment and delusion as the Sleeping Beauty of her enchanted castle?

Just eighteen, beautiful and intelligent, Yola Beauharnais lives a blessed Fairy tale life at her magnificent family castle on the Loire. Then her grandmother announces that she has been promised in marriage by her late beloved father to the Marquis de Montereau. Yola is appalled. She has heard of the Marquis, who, although handsome and sophisticated, has a reputation in Paris as a rake, socialite and 'ladykiller'. How could she possibly marry such a man, one who wants her only for her castle and the extensive estate? Determined to marry only for true love, wherever she may find it, Yola is helped by her father's mistress and travels 'undercover' to Paris in the guise of a woman of questionable morals to meet the notorious Marquis and find out for herself whether he might fall in love with her as herself and for herself only. Or whether she must betray her father's dying wish and refuse her unwanted suitor. On meeting the Marquis in her disguise, Yola finds that there is much more to him than his reputation suggests and, as love blossoms between them, she comes to bitterly regret her deception. Will she really find her true love or will she be condemned to live a life of disappointment and delusion as the Sleeping Beauty of her enchanted castle?

Arriving home from school, Bertilla is sad to find her home unprepared for her and her widowed mother is far from pleased to see her. Even worse, Lady Alvinston, a celebrated Society beauty, makes it clear that she has no intention of allowing her pretty eighteen-year-old daughter anywhere near the glittering London social scene she enjoys so much herself. As her mother continues her scheming to snare a wealthy husband before her looks fade, the last thing she needs is Bertilla making it obvious that she is old enough to have a grown up daughter. So when handsome Lord Saire, the prize amongst all of the eligible bachelors, happens upon Bertilla at a railway station, Lady Alvinston determines that their paths shall never cross again. Hastily packed up and sent to live with her mean-spirited Aunt Agatha, a Missionary in Sarawak, Bertilla is reconciled to the fact that she will never see England again. Feeling rejected, unloved and facing the deprivations of a Second Class ticket on her long sea voyage to Malaya, she is astounded to meet Lord Saire once more. Cut off from everything she knows and thrown into the elegant world of the steamship Saloon, Bertilla clutches at the kindness offered by Lord Saire, the man the Society matron's call, 'the Love Pirate'. Dashing, independent and a well-known heartbreaker, Lord Saire is cast in the unusual role of rescuer as they travel towards the beauty and mystery of the Far East. Acting as guardian and protector to Bertilla is very different to the passionate but brief relationships with Society beauties he normally enjoys and demonstrates the caring side of his nature. But is this a role he relishes or are his eyes really on the sophisticated married women he usually spends time with? As a man who has shunned love and marriage is he really the ideal protector for Bertilla as she dreams of freedom, romance and true love?

Innocent young Candida is almost destitute after the death of her beloved father. Resolving to keep up the family's modest Elizabethan manor house in Hertfordshire and support Ned, the family's faithful servant, she sees no alternative but to sell her beloved pitch-black stallion, Pegasus. So, when the worldly Major Hooper offers to take her and her mount to Hyde Park where she will undoubtedly find a high price, she agrees, though with a heavy heart. Little does she suspect that Major Hooper trades in young women as well as horseflesh - and soon she finds herself and Pegasus 'sold' to the dashing but awe-inspiring Lord Manville. A terrible maze of misunderstanding ensues and just when Candida realises that she has lost her heart to his Lordship, the London Society that seemed so carefree turns cruel. Even as she flees astride Pegasus, she is heartbroken, knowing she may never again see the man she loves -

Amidst the exciting preparations for the grand opening of Prince Albert's prized Crystal Palace, a young orphan, Sorilda, is being forced into marriage by her recently cuckolded uncle, the Duke of Nuneaton. Having sheltered lovely Sorilda since the tragic death of her parents, the usually fair-minded Duke has been driven to jealous retaliation by his deceitful new Duchess. Suspecting his close neighbour, the Earl of Winsford, of ungentlemanly conduct with his beautiful wife, the Duke issues an ultimatum. The Earl must renounce the Duchess and marry the Duke's flame-haired niece or face the public embarrassment of a scandal. Handsome, intelligent and fabulously wealthy, the Earl makes his choice and reluctantly marries Sorilda, his helpless bride. Angry at being pressured into such a union and aghast that he does not know, let alone love, his wife, the Earl remains distant and determined not to let Sorilda into his life. Enjoying the freedom from the miserable prison of her uncle's home, Sorilda's natural charm and positive nature soon force their way to the surface, despite the coldness of her bridegroom. Delighted by everything around her, it is not long before she has made her way into the hearts of everyone she meets. But, as London Society eagerly awaits the Great Exhibition, a spurned Duchess is busy plotting. Furious at being caught in a compromising situation, and filled with hatred for Sorilda, who has married the man she desires, she will not rest until she has her revenge.

After the death of the kindly old Earl of Yardecombe, Oscar the brash and pleasure-seeking new Earl seems to care little for the people of the Parish - let alone for the plight of young Dorina Stanfield, her widowed father and their impoverished family at the rundown Vicarage. Dorina's opinion of this raffish gentleman is lower still when she hears of lewd goings-on with his flamboyant friends at the 'Big House'. Confronting his Lordship, Dorina is stunned to find him chastened by her accusations. Nevertheless, she is unconvinced. Everything changes, though, when Dorina overhears the Earl's wicked heir presumptive's Satanic incantations, summoning the Devil to murder his Lordship. Suddenly what she thought was hatred for Oscar turns into a Divine and eternal love that swiftly conquers the perpetrator of this devilry - but will the elusive Earl ever feel the same about her?

The beautiful Lady Eleta Renton returns from France where she has stayed long over her time at the Convent School in Paris. Because her mother had married again after becoming widowed and then she died too, Eleta was in no hurry to come home. When she arrives back in London, rather sad at leaving the Convent School, she is horrified when her stepfather, whom she had never liked, tells her that she is to marry the Duke of Hazelware, because he is important to him in his business of shipbuilding and the Duke requires a wife with money. As she had never even seen the Duke, Eleta protested violently, especially when she learns her intended husband is over fifty, but her stepfather informs her that he is her Guardian by law until she is twenty-one and that will not be until the end of the year. As she is terrified at being forced into this marriage, she decides that the only course open to her is to run away . She learns from her mother's maid, Betty, of whom she is very fond, that there is an Agency nearby where she might be able to find a position as a secretary or a Governess. At the Agency the only place available is with the Marquis of Teringford, who has a very tiresome, badly behaved child of nine years of age, with whom no Governess will stay and has apparently run through a large number of them. One of them actually said when she left that she was a child of the Devil. Because she is desperate and despite Betty's misgivings at the Marquis's apparently doubtful reputation, Eleta takes the position and goes to his magnificent house in Hertfordshire. Here she finds that the small child has never been loved, which is the reason why she is so difficult. Also the Marquis is seldom there and, when he is, he scolds and lectures his daughter to distraction. How Eleta eventually tames and finds love for her pupil and for herself is all told in this romantic and moving tale by BARBARA CARTLAND.

Lady Loretta's father, the well-respected Lord Lieutenant of the County, is doing his best to force her into marriage with the Marquis of Sauerdun, the son of a good friend. Whilst her father thinks he is making a good match for his beloved daughter, she is aghast at the thought of an arranged marriage and vows she will only marry for love. Searching her mind for a way to stay free to pursue the kind of love she has always dreamt of, she happens upon a good plan. What if she could prove to her straight-laced father that the man he means for her is not only an unsuitable husband, but a philandering rake too? With the Marquis's reputation for love affairs with beautiful, seductive and preferably married women well known in Society, surely this would not prove too difficult? Seizing upon this last ditch attempt to stay unmarried, Lady Loretta devises a scheme to prove to her father that her intended is an unrepentant heartbreaker. Throwing herself upon the charity and good nature of her notorious cousin Ingrid, whose scandalous love affair has already rocked polite English Society, she heads for Paris alone. Delighted at how quickly she has escaped and enjoying the freedom of her adventure, Loretta determines to find out more about the Marquis and wastes no time in seeking him out. But Fate has its own plans for this spirited English beauty and before too long she is caught up in a web of deceit that threatens to change her life forever.

When two dashing gentlemen ride up to Rensham Hall, the ancestral Norfolk home of the beautiful Lady Chiara Fairfax, her world is turned upside down, as she and her mother are just recovering from the unexpected death of her father, Lord Fairfax. One of them, the handsome Mervyn Hunter, is soon in ardent pursuit of the lovely Chiara. But can she trust his declarations of love or does the mysterious, dark-haired stranger she encounters by chance on the seashore hold the key to her future happiness? Mervyn Hunter proposes marriage to Chiara and she turns him down, as she does not love him and she senses that he is cold and calculating and has an ulterior motive in asking her to be his wife. As she watches spellbound, a group of wild swans fly North over the sea towards Russia, Chiara feels a magical world of passion and beauty calling to her. Soon she too will be travelling North to the enchanting City of St. Petersburg, although in the company of Mervyn Hunter's pushy sister and her two tiresome daughters. But will she ever break free from the clutches of Mervyn Hunter and his family and be reunited with her true soulmate, the elusive and mysterious Count Dimitrov? Find out, in this scintillating and thrilling romance by Barbara Cartland.

The Marquis of Elvington, heartbroken to discover the woman he intended to marry has deceived him, decides to leave England and put as many miles as possible between them. Handsome, intelligent and a great favourite at the Court of King William IV and Queen Adelaide, the Marquis is used to the admiration of women and respect of men, so the duplicity of his intended wife strikes him a cruel blow. However, a thick fog makes it impossible for his yacht to leave Dover Harbour, so he is forced to remain on British soil another night. Anger swiftly chasing his sadness, he decides to visit a cheap quayside inn to escape the loneliness he feels and drown his sorrows. Sitting alone, his mind firmly fixed on how the woman he loved has betrayed him, he vows never to love or trust again. But Fate seems determined to challenge him as almost immediately he is forced to act as a 'Good Samaritan' to protect a young lady, Ola, intent on escaping the clutches of her hateful stepmother and dishonourable cousin. Blaming his act of charity on the vast quantities of brandy he consumed and against his better judgement, he offers to sail her in his yacht, The Sea Wolf, to Calais. Ola is brave, opinionated and daring - as well as possessing the most flaming red hair he has ever seen. From the moment she steps aboard, decrying men and their dastardly intentions, the Marquis is hard put to keep in step with her wild ideas and brave deeds. In turn admiring her free spirit and amazed at her lack of understanding of the ways of the world, they form a strange truce based on the fact that both vow never to marry. But Fate has not finished meddling yet and they are soon embroiled in incredible adventures, too fantastic for either of them ever to have imagined, that push their friendship to its very limits.

The British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, asks Lord Kenington to travel to India to find out if growing reports about the Russian menace are really true. The Liberal Opposition in Parliament are sceptical and are certain that Disraeli is manufacturing a scare about nothing in asserting that the prime objective of the Russians in invading Asia is to wrest India from the British. On the P & O Liner to India, to Lord Kenington's surprise, a very beautiful young girl comes up to him and asks if she can be seen speaking to him. Aisha explains that, owing to various mishaps, she is travelling alone and un-chaperoned and is being pursued by a tiresome man, Arthur Watkins, and she is frightened at the way he is behaving. Learning that she is the daughter of one of the most successful Officers in the Army in India, Lord Kenington is only too pleased to help her. He understands that Aisha's father, Major Warde, is one of the key men in The Great Game, a British Secret Service dedicated to defending India from the Russians. Because they find each other so interesting, Lord Kenington is as worried as Aisha is when they reach Calcutta to find that her father is not waiting for her. Lord Kenington fears that if he is missing there may be an alarming reason for it and they then travel together to Simla to stay with the Viceroy, Lord Lytton. How when they are there Major Warde turns up unexpectedly, having saved a Fort on the North-West Frontier. How Aisha is kidnapped from Viceregal Lodge and how eventually she finds happiness after her terrifying ordeal is all told in this intriguing romance by BARBARA CARTLAND.

While staying at Lady Merrill's French Riviera villa, flame haired and beautiful American heiress Nevada van Arden passes her time by casually breaking the hearts of her many ardent suitors - particularly that of young David, Lord Merrill. When his uncle, intrepid explorer and diplomat Tyrone Strome, overhears her cruel humiliation of his lovelorn nephew, he resolves to teach this 'vixen' a lesson - and save David from his misery. Tyrone Strome abducts Nevada, spiriting her away in his luxury yacht to Morocco. There the reluctant voyager, swaddled in native clothing, is terrified by the perils of the Sahara and its nomadic tribesmen. But, as they flee from certain death or worse, they find sanctuary in a beautiful hidden valley, a second Garden of Eden, where to Nevada's surprise, love begins to blossom in the desert.

On a hot summer's day in 1880 the beautiful Lady Rosella is cutting a basket of blooms in her beloved Rose Garden at her aunt's house in Hampshire. It is her seventeenth birthday and no one remembers it except for Thomas, the gardener's boy. Later she is driven to Winchester and has an unpleasant encounter with two raucous gentlemen in the local tavern before going on to fit her first ball gown that her aunt has given her the money for just before she died. But who is the lovely masked woman she glimpses in the mirror at the dress-makers, a glorious vision clad in rose-pink silk? And who is the dark figure approaching through the shadows of a dim and ghostly ballroom? Before she will discover the answers to these questions and to escape marriage to a most unpleasant companion of her uncle's, Rosella must travel many miles to the glorious City of Venice accompanied by Pickle an extremely talkative and colourful parrot. She has left behind everything dear to her and when a mysterious stranger appears in Venice, Rosella believes that he may be the love she has so often dreamed about. This love will bring her pain and passion beyond anything she could ever have imagined. But her hopes are in ruins when she discovers the mysterious stranger to be the son of her arch enemy and once again she must flee. Will Rosella and her true love ever be reconciled - or will the Fates conspire to keep them apart forever? Find out in this thrilling new romance by Barbara Cartland, the one hundredth title in the Barbara Cartland Pink Collection.

When her irresponsible brother rents the family home, Langston Manor, for the duration of the Royal Ascot races to Valient, Earl of Trevarnon and his wild gentleman friends, lonely and innocent young Demelza is afraid. Although married to a woman who has lost her mind and is in an asylum, Trevarnon is a well-known 'ladies' man' - and, for her own safety and modesty, Demelza agrees to hide among The Manor's maze of secret passages. As she watches, though, through the old house's ancient peepholes, she sees another, very different, side to the notorious Nobleman. Suddenly one moonlit night, under a honeysuckle arbour, Demelza realises that she has lost her heart utterly to this dashing stranger. But her love is wrong. Valient Trevarnon can never, ever be hers Then, when she secretly foils a sinister plot against her beloved, she triggers a chain of events and an overwhelming passion far beyond her control - and perhaps now she dares to hope for her heart's desire -

Beautiful young Araminta Sinclair's world is turned topsy turvy when her brother Sir Harry loses six hundred pounds at cards to the famously ruthless Marquis of Wayne. It seems that all is lost, but then Araminta has an idea Using the superb culinary skills with which her epicure father endowed her and with the help of her uncle, General Sir Alexander Bracknell, she will earn the money to repay her brother's debt of honour by posing as a chef. When her uncle boasts that his mysterious new cook rivals even the legendary Careme, the Prince Regent's chef, the gentlemen at White's Club cannot resist turning the situation into a bet. But no sooner is she at work in the kitchen of the Marquis of Wayne himself, than she uncovers a murderous plot and then to her surprise love blossoms in her heart - a love that seems doomed by her deception until she finds that the cynical Marquis does, after all, have a heart.

Valda lives a life of luxury with her mother and stepfather in a beautiful chateau in France. Educated in Paris and enjoying all that French society can offer, Valda's English roots seem a very distant memory. That is until the day her stepfather declares that in true French style he is planning an arranged marriage for her. Horrified at the thought of marrying a complete stranger, Valda knows that it is impossible for her to go along with her stepfather's wishes, no matter how angry he will be by her disobedience. Much as she loves him, she has inherited her late father's lively intelligent mind and spirit of adventure, as well as his wealth. She also possesses a soul that cries out for true love. Declaring that she intends to marry only for love and will choose her own husband, Valda struggles against a tradition that challenges all of her hopes and dreams. Determined to prove to her stepfather that she can make wise, independent choices for herself, she bravely decides to embark on the journey of a lifetime to become a photographer. Stealing away at daybreak with her friends, the Gypsies, she knows that a Romani caravan is the very last place that anyone will look for an English heiress, leaving her safe to pursue her plan. Reaching the Camargue in the South of France, Valda is captivated by its wild beauty and the stunning birds, bulls and horses. But before very long a handsome stranger catches her attention in an unexpected way. Still in disguise, she begins to realise that the romance she is seeking might be within her grasp - if only she can make him see that love is worth much more than money.

After the Battle of Waterloo and the subsequent Army of Occupation in France, the Earl of Monthurst returns to his ancestral home in England to find it in a very bad condition. Because labour had not been available during the war, The Hall, which goes back to Tudor times, was badly in need of repair, while the farms on his extensive estate were untenanted and the fields unploughed. Not only had all the local men been taken by the Army, but a large number had not returned. The villagers had faced near starvation and many older people had died from want of attention. The Earl had unwisely brought back with him a French Comtesse, who was very beautiful and possessive and was obviously determined that he should marry her. He had thought that he and the Comtesse could arrive quietly and remain unnoticed in his home. However, he finds the Vicar's daughter, the lovely Raina Locke, is determined to make him realise his responsibility towards his people who have suffered so acutely during the war and he finds to his surprise they are confident that he will rescue them as well as his own estate from ruin. How Raina, through sheer persistence convinces the Earl to fulfil his responsibilities to his people and accept his ancestral duty. How Raina with the aid of her redoubtable Nanny saves the Earl on the first night of his arrival home from the disapproval of the local Lord Lieutenant and an inveterate gossip. And how she saves the Earl from a despicable plot by the evil French Comtesse and how she completely and absolutely falls in love is all told in this romantic and inspiring tale by BARBARA CARTLAND.

Madly envious of her demure stepdaughter's loveliness, Isobel Fairburn, Lord Blackstone's new bride, banishes young Sandra to the wilds of Bedfordshire where she is to live a miserable, isolated existence with her aged great-aunt. Desperate to escape this 'living death', Sandra secretly flees her home and, securing the post of 'companion' to the age-withered and cantankerous Dowager Countess of Kyle, soon finds herself amidst the glamorous Beau Monde in Brighton. Here Sandra meets the handsome Earl of Kyle and initially despises him for his cynical and sarcastic manner - but before long she finds that there's more to him than meets the eye. But no sooner has love begun to grow timidly in her heart, than her hopes are dashed when she finds he is already married to a French woman. Worse still, she hears of a sinister plot to extort money from her 'Knight of Chivalry' but what can she do? And how will she ever find a match for this man beyond compare?

Teresa is everything her father Sir Hubert Bryan could wish for - clever, loyal and sharp-witted. The only problem is that she was born a girl and not the son he hoped would follow in his footsteps. But Teresa sees no reason why her gender should prevent her from being an asset to him in his mighty shipping empire, and tells him so. Sir Hubert is astounded at her request - he is far more concerned that his beautiful daughter will fall prey to the scavengers and fortune hunters amongst London Society. Having made his own vast fortune the hard way he is only too aware of what men will do to have access to the kind of wealth his lovely daughter will inherit. So when his dear friend the Marquess of Walstoke begs for help to prevent his heir Harry, the Earl of Lanbourne, making a disastrous marriage to a notorious actress he sees an opportunity to help his friend, and set a test of intelligence for his daughter too. Together, the two men hatch a plot to 'save' Harry from himself and prevent him from ruining his life. Promising her work in the family business, Teresa agrees to her father's pleas to play a central character in a daring deception. But Harry is not a fool, and astounded at his uncle's lack of faith in him he storms off to Bourne Hall, his family estate, taking Teresa with him. Teresa is torn; she loves her father but the longer she spends with Harry the more her loyalties are tested. Experiencing strange new feelings, she begins to have her own reasons to make sure that Harry puts the past behind him. But are these reciprocated? Or is Harry destined to shake the foundations of Society by making his flame-haired actress the new Countess of Lanbourne?

Dalma Wickham, having been in Athens to learn Greek, arrives at a British Steamer to return to London to find that they will not allow her dog, Twi-Twi, on board. Because she is turned away from the British ship, she walks round the quay and sees a most magnificent yacht. While she is admiring it, a bomb goes off at the end of the quay and the seamen leave the yacht to see what has happened. On an impulse, because she realises it is her last chance of getting Twi-Twi to England, she slips aboard the yacht and hides in one of the empty cabins. The yacht goes to sea and she is just beginning to feel hungry when Twi-Twi starts barking. Dalma has made up her mind that the owner of the yacht must be very rich and old and, when the door opens, she sees a young man who is very handsome and he is the Earl of Ravenscraig. Because her father, Lord Wickham, is a trusted advisor to the Prime Minister and Queen Victoria, she recognises that there would be a great scandal if she travels alone with such a handsome man. Because she is herself so beautiful and interesting, the Earl says he will not turn her off his yacht, but he has a problem to resolve in Fez before he returns to London. It turns out that he is trying to rescue a young woman, the daughter of his secretary, who has been captured by evil white slave traders. How Dalma helps the Earl in freeing the girl when she is about to be sold. How they reach England in safety, but Dalma knows that she is already in love with the Earl. How she discovers that he is married to a Greek Princess and is faced with an appalling problem for which there is apparently no answer. And how they both wish on a star that one day they will be together for ever is told in this exciting romance by BARBARA CARTLAND.

Can she find freedom... In her lover's arms? Desperate for a divorce from her violent, adulterous husband, Vita runs away to the Roman Baths, where she is brought face to face with forbidding, handsome slave Ven. In him she finds an instant connection and ally. Yet to escape with their lives they'll have to resist their burning chemistry! And as Vita realises that freedom comes at a high cost, she knows she might have to make an impossible choice!

Princess Zelda of Brienz in Switzerland is being harassed by her father to marry a King or Prince of one of the small countries of Europe. Zelda is very beautiful and determined that when she does marry it will be for love and only love and she cannot possibly fall in love with any of her father's suitors. She runs away from her home to her cousin, Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein, who has always been very fond of her. She tells him that she is determined to find out the truth about a scandal that has been repeated ever since she was born. This was that her real father was the fourth Duke of Milverden from one of the foremost aristocratic families of England. She is also hoping to find the love of her life. To please her, the Prince sends her to stay in London with an old friend of his, Lady Craven, so that she can discover for herself if she is really one of the Milvers. Prince Johann also gives her an introduction to Queen Victoria who, he is well aware, knows more about Royalty in Europe than anyone else. How Zelda is advised to behave in a very strange way both by Queen Victoria and by her Prime Minister, Mr. Disraeli. How she manages to meet the present Duke, who succeeded her supposed father and finds that owing to a humiliating experience when he was a young man he has become a recluse and hides away in his magnificent house filed with treasures and will see no one. How in an assumed personality, but being intelligent and astute, she attracts and puzzles him. And how finally they both find happiness is all told in this unusual romance by BARBARA CARTLAND.

Beautiful Lady Lucilla Welton is all alone in the world, having lost both her parents in a tragic accident. She has nowhere to go and so she stays with her cruel and distant Aunt Maud, who wants to marry her off as soon as possible. An ardent suitor is at hand - the rich Texan, Harkness Jackson - but his proposal is not one Lucilla could ever contemplate. She has already met the only man who will ever find the key to her heart - but the handsome Marquis of Castlebury is enthralled by another and for him, Lucilla seems to be no more than a casual friend. She accepts the Marquis's invitation to visit Paris with him and her old Nanny comes as chaperone. She is enchanted to be with him, but dark clouds are gathering. And, once Harkness Jackson has found out where she is, the odds against Lucilla ever finding happiness grow longer and longer. She flees the persistent American and the Marquis believes that she has run away with him. She is taken in by her maid from her hotel and her artist brother, who paints her and the portrait catches the eye of the Parisian art world - and the Marquis. Will Lucilla ever find true love with the man she adores? Will the Marquis finally come to his senses and follow his heart? All is revealed in this exciting, heart-stopping romance by BARBARA CARTLAND

Bored with the Social world of London and the constant demands of the lovelorn Prince of Wales, the Marquis of Aldridge takes refuge at his remote country estate, Ridge Castle, deep in the 'Witch Country' of Essex. Riding through a village close to The Castle he comes upon a mob of villagers dragging the unconscious body of a young woman to the duck pond. Convinced she is a witch, they are bent on putting her to the ultimate test. If she drowns she is innocent. If she floats she is evil and must die Rescuing the young waif and installing her at his castle, the Marquis is convinced that this raven-haired, blue-eyed beauty, whose name is Idylla, is far too lovely - too innocent - to be a witch. Nevertheless, he falls helplessly under her spell - and as he uncovers the murderous plot that brought her to him, he also discovers a love beyond anything he imagined possible.