Showing results by narrator "Wren" in All Categories

"No, Papa! I cannot believe that you no longer want me here." When Marina Fullerton's beloved mother dies in a tragic riding accident, she is horrified when her father sends her away from the family home in Harley Street, saying he is unable to bear her near him. She finds herself packed off to stay with family friends in Paris, chaperoned by her faithful maid, Ellen. Soon Marina finds herself captivated by her French host's good-looking son - but is he what he seems?

"I will not marry a man I do not love!" When Lady Verena's widowed father suddenly remarries, she finds that her stepmother is anxious to make a match of convenience for her new stepdaughter and produces a suitor who repels her. Verena has always sworn that when she marries, it will be for love and for no other reason. Feeling that she has no choice but to run away, Verena makes a daring midnight escape from her home.

For years, Celina Storton had been in love with Robin, the Earl of Torrington, but he spent his time in Paris, pursuing beautiful women and the more the merrier. Then his mother's illness forced him to return to England, where she demanded that he marry quickly, as she had not long to live. She had chosen his bride for him - Celina. He was horrified by this threat to his liberty, but since Celina was an old friend and as he loved his mother, he agreed.

"Get away from me. As far as I am concerned, David, you are dead to me and this entire family!" The handsome Viscount Kennington has never enjoyed a good relationship with his father, the Earl, but he loves his grandparents and they love him. But when a family scandal is aired after the sudden death of the Viscount's grandfather, the Marquis, the family feud grows worse. The Viscount retreats to the huge mysterious house in Devon left to him by his grandfather.

When Shona became secretary to the Marquis of Chilworth, all she was told was that they were going abroad so that he could write a book. She never suspected the dark secret in his heart or the terrible thing he meant to do. As they travelled on, she learned more about the tragedy that drove him, and she faced the fact that she was falling in love with a man whose heart was in the grave. Haunted by memories of his dead wife, the Marquis tried to shut out the possibility of a new love.

Protected by loving parents, young, beautiful and happy, Lady Ravina Ashley has the world at her feet. Unused to harsh words, she is taken aback when a stranger at a ball in London takes her to task for her behavior towards a clumsy suitor. But Ravina hopes that one day she will fall madly passionately in love and refuses to think of marriage to anyone until then.

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.

The beautiful Lady Elva Chartham had returned to her family home in the country from her Season as a debutante as she had become disenchanted by the endless balls and empty-headed young suitors. She much preferred to be with her horses. Her father was away fishing and her beloved Aunt Violet came to coax her into returning to London to finish her Season. Elva was persuaded by Aunt Violet and in her London house, she overheard a conversation between her aunt and her cousin, the Duke of Sparkbrook, that would dramatically change her life.

There is nothing for it - we will have to marry for money! The Strathcarrons have lived in splendour in Lednock Castle in Scotland for many generations, but the family fall on hard times when their fortunes become depleted. An American guest, Larry Harwood, comes to stay and persuades the Earl of Strathcarron to travel to New York with him to make his fortune, leaving his wife, his son, Ewen and daughter, Moira, to the mercies of fate. Six months later the Earl returns a broken man, having lost the entire estate to the American's creditors.

Lady Novella Crownley has been teaching at a girl's school far from her ancestral home, Crownley Hall, and one day her mother asks her to return. She leaves at once only to find that so much has changed since her last visit home. Her beloved father, the Earl of Crownley, had died some years earlier, leaving her mother lonely and unable to cope on her own. Unknown to Novella her mother had remarried and the first time she met her new stepfather, Lord Buckton, she did like him at all.

Carina was alone in the world and unsure of what the future held for her. Then a troupe of musicians, called "Bertie's Beauties", had an accident outside her gates and she found herself swept up in their fate as she took over from their injured pianist. Now one of the troupe, she went to perform at the Duke of Westbury's castle, never suspecting that the Duke would turn out to be the young man she had met for a few dramatic moments many years before. To hide her identity she allowed him to see her only when she was masked.

Martina knew that Sir Hugh Faversham adored her. She was uncertain how she felt about him, but she knew she could always turn to him for help. So when her friend, Harriet, begged her for help to avoid a forced marriage, Martina went straight to Sir Hugh with her plan. She proposed that the two of them should "marry" with Harriet taking her place at the altar at the last minute. Afterwards nobody could be sure who was married to whom and they would all escape on Sir Hugh's yacht and sort everything out later.

Vanda Sudbury and Robert, the Earl of Cunningham, had been friends from childhood. They knew all each other's faults and weaknesses and squabbled like brother and sister. So when her father tried to force a marriage between them, they were equally horrified. Fond though he was of Vanda, Robert was sure he could never love such a forceful, strong-minded female. She was equally dismissive of him as a husband.

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.

Charles, Lord Hartley, was at his wits end. He had spent a fortune on his cousin John, and still the embittered John demanded more money. Charles knew he needed an heiress and he became swiftley attracted to Cliona, who had recently moved in to the neighbourhood. He did not know that she was an heiress. When he found out, he felt there was no way that he could approach her with honour. But Cliona, a spirited girl, had her own ideas.

Dorina's father had been an industrialist, an inventor and a genius who trained her to be his heir, sending her abroad to learn many languages. While she was in France she learned that he had died and she must now take over his business. But she does not feel ready, especially as she knows he has been trying to design a horseless carriage. For a while she keeps his death a secret, to give herself time to learn, and goes to work for his great rival, the Earl of Kennington.

Lady Tamina Braithwaite is excited and happy to be secretly engaged to the handsome politician Edmund Newson. However, she is devastated when she discovers he is already betrothed to another girl. Determined to flee the country to heal her broken heart, she takes a job with Ivan, the Earl of Daventry, who is about to travel abroad and needs a secretary to help him with a book he is writing. Pretending to be plain Miss Waites, Tamina is unaware that the Earl has also recently been betrayed by a close friend.

The Earl of Cariston is faced with insuperable problems as he has completely run out of money. He has sold everything on his estate that he can, but even so there is nothing he can do to support those who rely on him and they are on the verge of starvation. In desperation he calls into his Club to find an old friend, Lord Shield, and tells him all his woes. Lord Shield is in a bad way himself, but does suggest that he visits a certain Mr. Randon who is temporarily in London and beg for his help.

Eugenia Dovedale's father had been High Steward to the Marquis of Buckbury and after her father's unexpected death, Eugenia had to leave "Paragon" the family's beautiful and much loved cottage on the estate. She and her mother now lived uncomfortably with her Great-Aunt Cloris in London as they could not afford anywhere else. Mrs Dovedale maintained strong hopes of her daughter making a good marriage and improving their position.

Michael, the Earl of Danesbury was being hounded to marry Lady Alice Randall, a woman he did not love. Even the Prince of Wales was determined to force him into marriage. Michael fled to his dilapidated ancestral castle for the first time since inheriting his title. There he heard a girl singing and fell in love. She was Bettina, daughter of an eccentric Major, a genius with gardens plants and herbs. Determined to put the castle gardens in good order, Michael hired the Major and found himself becoming more and more enchanted with Bettina.