49. Lovers In London - The Pink Collection

Barbara Cartland

Description

Witty, sardonic and with an eye for beautiful ladies, the handsome Marquis of Rakecliffe has earned himself the nickname, ‘Rake’ amongst his friends and family. As he cuts a swathe through the glittering balls and elegant soirees of London society he is pursued by debutantes and married hostesses alike. Admired by men, including the Prince of Wales, for his intelligence, bravery and ability to take on any challenge to defend his country it seems the Marquis lives a charmed life. Beautiful Lanthia Grenville is a stranger to the city and the new fashions set by the Prince of Wales and his wild, fun loving ‘Marlborough House set’. Leaving her sheltered life in the country for a shopping trip chaperoned by the kindly Mrs Blossom, Lanthia looks forward to an exciting stay at the celebrated hotel, The Langham. But it seems that the Marquis’ luck has finally run out after a liaison with a beautiful Spanish Contessa inflames the jealousy of her fiery husband. Eager to avoid a duel, he flings himself upon the mercy of Lanthia persuading her to enter into a secret pact to avoid social ruin. Protected by her doting parents and dreaming of true love, travel and adventure, Lanthia is suddenly plunged into more excitement than she could ever have imagined as their ruse threatens to be uncovered. As friendships are tested to the limits and danger threatens will Lanthia be the one to halt the Rakes progress and teach him the meaning of true love, loyalty and fidelity? Or will the fanatical Conté ultimately wreak his revenge and shatter the lives of everyone? "Barbara Cartland was the world’s most prolific novelist who wrote an amazing 723 books in her lifetime, of which no less than 644 were romantic novels with worldwide sales of over 1 billion copies and her books were translated into 36 different languages.As well as romantic novels, she wrote historical biographies, 6 autobiographies, theatrical plays and books of advice on life, love, vitamins and cookery.She wrote her first book at the age of 21 and it was called Jigsaw. It became an immediate bestseller and sold 100,000 copies in hardback in England and all over Europe in translation.Between the ages of 77 and 97 she increased her output and wrote an incredible 400 romances as the demand for her romances was so strong all over the world.She wrote her last book at the age of 97 and it was entitled perhaps prophetically The Way to Heaven. Her books have always been immensely popular in the United States where in 1976 her current books were at numbers 1 & 2 in the B. Dalton bestsellers list, a feat never achieved before or since by any author.Barbara Cartland became a legend in her own lifetime and will be best remembered for her wonderful romantic novels so loved by her millions of readers throughout the world, who have always collected her books to read again and again, especially when they feel miserable or depressed.Her books will always be treasured for their moral message, her pure and innocent heroines, her handsome and dashing heroes, her blissful happy endings and above all for her belief that the power of love is more important than anything else in everyone’s life."

Sujets

• Downton Abbey
• Mills & Boon
• Thomas Hardy
• Jane Austen
• Harlequin

Informations

• Publié par: M-Y Books
• Date de parution: 14 août 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781908303752
• Langue: English

Extrait

LOVERS IN LONDON

Lanthia was thinking again about her dream man who always rode beside her in the woods. Instinctively the thought made her yearn for fresh air so she ran to the window. She looked out onto Portland Place, at the same time still feeling as if she was riding beneath the trees in the woods at home. In her thoughts, the sun was percolating through the broad leaves of the green canopy overhead and someone was riding beside her. Someone who was so in tune with her that he underst ood that she was listening to the goblins working deep in the ground. Someone who could see in the same way she could, the nymphs hiding behind the trunks of the trees. How could she explain to the Marquis, or anyone else, the strange feelings she harboured within her? She was sure that no one would ever understand that she was talking to an invisible man beside her, who felt the same as she did about everything. ‘How can I marryanyoneI am always thinking about someone else, even,’ she asked herself, ‘if though he is invisible?’

THE BARBARA CARTLAND PINK COLLECTION

Barbara Cartland was the most prolific bestselling author in the history of the world. She was frequently in the Guinness Book of Records for writing more books in a year than any other living author. In fact her most amazing literary feat was when her publishers asked for more Barbara Cartland romances, she doubled her output from 10 books a year to over 20 books a year, when she was 77. She went on writing continuously at this rate for 2 0 years and wrote her last book at the age of 97, thus completing 400 books between the ages of 7 7 and 97. Her publishers finally could not keep up with this phenomenal output, so at her death she left 160 unpublished manuscripts, something again that no other author has ever achieved. Now the exciting news is that these 160 original unpublished Barbara Cartland books are ready for publication and they will be published by Barbaracartland.com exclusively on the internet, as the web is the best possible way to reach so many Barbara Cartland readers around the world. The 160 books will be published monthly and will be numbered in sequence. The series is called the Pink Collection as a tribu te to Barbara Cartland whose favourite colour was pink and it became very much her trademark over the years. The Barbara Cartland Pink Collection is published o nly on the internet. Log on to www.barbaracartland.comfind out how you can purchase the books monthly as they are to published, and take out a subscription that will ensure that all subsequent editions are delivered to you by mail order to your home. If you do not have access to a computer you can write for information about the Pink Collection to the following address : Barbara Cartland.com Ltd. 240 High Road, Harrow Weald, Harrow HA3 7BB United Kingdom. Telephone & fax: [phone]

Titles in this series

These titles are currently available for download. For more information please see theWhere to buy pageat the end of this book 1. The Cross Of Love 2. Love In The Highlands 3. Love Finds The Way 4. The Castle Of Love 5. Love Is Triumphant 6. Stars In The Sky 7. The Ship Of Love 8. A Dangerous Disguise 9. Love Became Theirs 10. Love Drives In 11. Sailing To Love 12. The Star Of Love 13. Music Is The Soul Of Love 14. Love In The East 15. Theirs To Eternity 16. A Paradise On Earth 17. Love Wins In Berlin 18. In Search Of Love 19. Love Rescues Rosanna 20. A Heart In Heaven 21. The House Of Happiness 22. Royalty Defeated By Love 23. The White Witch 24. They Sought Love 25. Love Is The Reason For Living 26. They Found Their Way To Heaven 27. Learning To Love 28. Journey To Happiness 29. A Kiss In The Desert 30. The Heart Of Love 31. The Richness Of Love 32. For Ever And Ever 33. An Unexpected Love 34. Saved By An Angel 35. Touching The Stars 36. Seeking Love 37. Journey To Love 38. The Importance Of Love

39. Love By The Lake 40. A Dream Come True 41. The King Without A Heart 42. The Waters Of Love 43. Danger To The Duke 44. A Perfect Way To Heaven 45. Follow Your Heart 46. In Hiding 47. Rivals For Love 48. A Kiss From The Heart 49. Lovers In London 50. This Way To Heaven

THELATE DAME BARBARA CARTLAND

Barbara Cartland, who sadly died in May 2000 at the grand age of ninety eight, remains one of the world’s most famous romantic novelists. Wit h worldwide sales of over one billion, her outstanding 723 books have been translated into thi rty six different languages, to be enjoyed by readers of romance globally. Writing her first book ‘Jigsaw’ at the age of 21, B arbara became an immediate bestseller. Building upon this initial success, she wrote continuously throughout her life, producing bestsellers for an astonishing 76 years. In addition to Barbara Cartland’s legion of fans in the UK and across Europe, her books have always been immensely popular in the USA. In 1976 she achieved the unprecedented feat of having books at numbers 1 & 2 in the prestigious B. Dalton Bookseller bestsellers list. Although she is often referred to as the ‘Queen of Romance’, Barbara Cartland also wrote several historical biographies, six autobiographies and numerous theatrical plays as well as books on life, love, health and cookery. Becoming one of Br itain's most popular media personalities and dressed in her trademark pink, Barbara spoke on radio and television about social and political issues, as well as making many public appearances. In 1991 she became a Dame of the Order of the Briti sh Empire for her contribution to literature and her work for humanitarian and charitable causes. Known for her glamour, style, and vitality Barbara Cartland became a legend in her own lifetime. Best remembered for her wonderful romant ic novels and loved by millions of readers worldwide, her books remain treasured for their her oic heroes, plucky heroines and traditional values. But above all, it was Barbara Cartland’s o verriding belief in the positive power of love to help, heal and improve the quality of life for everyone that made her truly unique.

‘How can I marry anyone,’ she asked herself, ‘if I am always thinking about someone else, even though he is invisible?’ Barbara Cartland

CH �

PTER ONE 1880

Lanthia wasriding alone through the woods as she did every morning. She was thinking that nothing in the universe could be lovelier than the sunshine streaming through the spring leaves and turning them to gold. As usual she was telling herself a story. It seemed that whenever she rode into the woods her imagination was on fire and stories just flowed into her mind. As she often said to her father, she had travelled the world just by reading the books in his library and listening to the wonderful stories he told her. “They all seem so true and real, Papa,” she had told him over and over again. Her father had laughed, delighted. Sir Philip Grenville had been very much an ardent traveller in his youth, but now he was content to stay at home in the country. He wrote about his experiences rather than taking part any more. To Lanthia, ever since she had been small, the huge library with so many books overflowing into almost every other room in the house created many fairy tales in which she herself always played a vital part. She envisaged herself climbing the Himalayas as her father had tried to do, or travelling for endless miles over deserted countryside to Tibet and finding a monastery perched on the side of a cliff where no European had ever set foot. In all of her dreams she was accompanied by someone special, a dream companion, who understood what she was thinking and who enjoyed the adventure of discovering a new world as much as she did. She dreamed, as she was travelling up the Nile or the Amazon, that she instructed her invisible companion. At other times he instructed her, but always in her dreams they were together and she was never frightened or alone. Lanthia had always been a lonely child. A late baby, her mother, Elizabeth, was already thirty-nine years old when she was born. The age gap between Lanthia and her older bother, David, was too great for him to make a natural playmate, so the little girl came to rely on her own vivid imagination for companionship. When the Honourable Elizabeth Ford married Philip G renville – he had not then come into the family Baronetcy – their families had been delighted. Their happiness had seemed complete when the young couple welcomed a son and heir within a year of marriage, and their families eagerly anticipated siblings to follow swiftly. However, because Philip Grenville wanted to travel the world and his devoted wife always went with him, there were no more children. Accepting that their family was complete, the well-travelled couple had given up hoping that there might be any more. So Lanthia had been an unexpected surprise, or ‘afterthought’ as someone had wryly commented.