The beautiful Elissa Valentine has no idea what lies in store for her after the death of her beloved Papa, who was a talented artist. She travels to Yorkshire to start a new life at Fellbrook Towers as a companion to her fearsome grandmother, Lady Hartwell. She soon discovers that the luxurious lifestyle at The Towers is under threat from the wild gambling of her handsome and impetuous cousin, Falcon. When Elissa saves the day by predicting the winning horse in a big race, Falcon showers her with gifts and proposes marriage. But she cannot accept his offer because the …

London socialite and friend of King George IV, the Duke of Strathnarn enjoys his London life, so he is resentful when he inherits from his hated father the title and responsibilities of chieftain of the Clan McNarn. Arriving bitterly angry in the highland fiefdom he fled as a youth, he’s faced with a terrible dilemma. To free his young nephew and heir from the clutches of his clan’s mortal enemies, the Kilcraigs, he must marry Clola, the daughter of their fearsome chieftain. He complies with bad grace, but refuses even to look his young bride in the face, so certain …

Simona Bell, the lovely daughter of Lord Belgrave, has been invited by her friend, Karoline von Honentaal to stay with her family in Berlin. Simona finds that Karoline’s father, the baron, owns an amazing collection of art. Alone for a moment, she finds her way into the Baron’s private sanctuary, where she admires an unusual sedan chair. Hearing voices and frightened she might be discovered, she slips into the chair and closes the door. The baron and another man enter the room and Simona overhears them discussing an Englishman called Watson, who has been working on a new naval gun …

At the Battle of Worcester in 1651, Prince Charles with 13,000 troops, both English and Scottish, is heavily defeated by Oliver Cromwell and flees to France. Clive More escapes the battlefield to a friendly house and is saved from Cromwell’s men by the nanny of 9-year-old Alissa. After the prince is restored to the throne as King Charles II in 1660, Alissa, her father the Earl of Dalwaynnie, her stepmother, and her stepsister Nancy, move to London. The king, grateful for the earl’s support, gives them apartments at the Royal Palace of Whitehall. Clive More, who is now the Marquis …

Valda lives a life of luxury with her mother and stepfather in a beautiful château 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, she knows it is impossible for her to go along with her stepfather’s wishes, no matter how angry he will be. Much as she loves him, she has inherited her late father’s lively intelligent …

The Earl of Bracken is meeting his good friend Captain Charles Kenwood at his Club on St. James Street. He has just returned from a visit to Syria where he had been introduced to Sheik Abu Hamid, the owner of the most magnificent Arab horses the earl has ever seen. They are both keen to buy horses from the sheik, who is reluctant to sell unless his greatest wish can be fulfilled. He wants to receive a royal princess as a guest at his house in the desert, so he can show his neighbours how important and prestigious he is. …

Anthea Forthingdale and her sisters Thais, Chloe, and Phebe have all been named after famous poems.After their father’s death at Waterloo, the girls and their lovely mother, Christobel, are alone and isolated, living in poverty on a small Yorkshire village. Struggling for money and appropriate suitors for her daughter, In May 1819 Lady Forthingdale writes to an old friend, the Countess of Sheldon in London and asks if she will have her godchild Anthea come for the rest of the season. The Countess is delighted to have Anthea as her guest because otherwise her husband wishes to leave for the …

The Marquis and Marquise de Castillon, together with their young son, Jean Pierre, were forced to flee France for England when the French Revolution broke out in 1789. Jean Pierre was educated at Eton and only returned to Paris when Napoleon came to power. It was not long before he joined Napoleon's Army, survived the retreat from Moscow, and was badly wounded at the Battle of Waterloo. Whilst in hospital he becomes friends with Colonel Hubert Dawlish. They made joint wills leaving everything to the other.Jean Pierre, now the marquis, survived but finds his estate in ruins. Then the late …

The dashing and raffish Justin, Marquis of Veryan, awakens from a drunken sleep to the appalling realisation that in the throes of passion he proposed marriage to renowned society beauty Lady Rose Caterham. Worse, still, she accepted and will soon be spreading word of their engagement to the Beau Monde. Fleeing to his country house on the South Coast with his close friend Sir Anthony Derville, he plans to enjoy some peace and quiet well away from the hullaballoo that is sure to ensue. But no sooner than he arrives, he is robbed in his own dining room by a …