検索キーワード： "Barbara Cartland" コンテンポラリー

Quando un locandiere scozzese chiede all'austero e riservato Drue, duca di Warminster, di dare un passaggio a una vecchietta la cui carrozza è in panne, lui accetta con riluttanza. La fragile vecchia signora è in realtà una giovane bellezza dai capelli rossi di nome Jabina, scappata di casa per evitare un matrimonio impostole dal padre.

Il maggiore Rex Daviot e la giovane Quenella decidono di stipulare un matrimonio di convenienza per tirarsi fuori dai rispettivi impicci: mentre lei vuole sposarsi per allontanare da sé un odioso principe tedesco, il maggiore ha bisogno del patrimonio di Quenella per conservare la propria posizione nel continente indiano.

Leonora Cressy and her school friend Isobel have sworn never to fall in love. They prefer their books to men and scorn other girls whose heads are full of storybook romance. Leonora is convinced that no man could be as perfect as her late father. Little does she know that life has decided to put her conviction to the test. Her mother comes to tell her that she has a new stepfather and she does not like the sound of him at all.

Robert Lyndon, heir apparent to a dukedom and newly spurned lover is desperate to save face amongst the young dandies and court ladies of Regency London society. Handsome, wealthy and decorated for his bravery Robert is recognised as one of the most eligible bachelors in Society. Yet despite his success with the ladies, it seems that he cannot find the perfect wife. Beautiful Rania Temple is living in impoverished gentility in the country. Away from the fashions and trends of the city, she is devoted to her family home and much loved horses.

"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.

1820 is a worrying time for His Royal Highness Prince Lászlé as the might of the Prussian Empire moves ever closer to the boarders of his independent principality, Opava. Concerned for the welfare and happiness of his subjects, he reluctantly sends his beautiful daughter, Princess Zoleka, on a secret mission to the neighbouring state of Krnov, which is in crisis. Masquerading as Lady in Waiting to Princess Udele, the heir to the throne, Zoleka is horrified to discover that Krnov is in political turmoil.

Justina Mansell, the youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Mansell, is told that her sister has been invited to visit India, but cannot accept. So Justina jumps at the chance to go in her place. Her aunt arranges for her to be chaperoned on board ship by the stately Mrs. Arbuthnot, who is travelling with her two daughters and her little terrier, Muffin. Justina is quickly attracted to the good-looking Sir Thomas Watson who is most attentive and much admires her beauty when he joins the Arbuthnot table for dinner.

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.

Returning from finishing school in France, Louisa Hatton was full of enthusiasm for the life ahead. She was convinced it would be exciting and romantic. But her parents had already planned a very suitable marriage for her to Lord Westbridge, their new neighbour. He was a cold, hard man and he wanted Louisa despite her protests. Her parents would not support her. Her father owed Lord Westbridge money.

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.

"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?

Viola Brookfield has not a care in the world until the awful day when her parents are tragically killed in a road accident, leaving her all alone in the world. So when her Aunt Mary, Lady Wakefield, writes to invite her to come and live with her in India, Viola decides to accept. But when she arrives, she finds a country fraught with unexpected dangers and that her uncle, Lord Wakefield, behaves as if she is not welcome. Viola's life is further complicated when she meets the handsome but enigmatic Earl of Devonport.

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.

Livet havde været hårdt for Doreen Wallis. Hun var vokset op i Cairo under ulykkelige omstændigheder, og nu var hendes forældre døde. Så giftede hun sig med den noget ældre Pepi, men deres ægteskab endte med en katastrofe. Hendes venner svigtede hende, og hun anede ikke, hvad hun skulle stille op. Men så fik hun pludselig en chance for en ny start.

Den purunge Cerissa er uægte datter af en fransk hertug, der bliver henrettet under den franske revolution. Dette får Cerissa til at flygte til England i håb om her at finde sig en rig og betydningsfuld mand, der kan give hende den plads i samfundet, der hidtil har været hende nægtet. I Calais træffer hun englænderen Sheldon Harcourt, der lover at hjælpe hende, men så sker der noget helt uventet.

Da markisen af Swayne bliver såret ved en landevejsulykke, bliver han bragt hjem til den stedlige landsbylæge. Her bliver han plejet af Rowena, den ældste af en smuk søskendeflok. De forelsker sig i hinanden, men da han mener, ægteskab ikke kan komme på tale, fordi hun ikke er adelig, tilbyder han hende sin beskyttelse. Forfærdet og berøvet sine illusioner afslår Rowena hans tilbud, og nu begynder en kamp for at få ham til at lade hende og hendes familie være i fred.

Rodney Hawkhursts fremtid så lys ud, da han på sit eget skib satte kurs mod det Caribiske Hav. Det eneste, der var ham imod, var hans lovning om at tage sin storaktionærs uvorne søn, Francis, med og gøre en mand ud af ham. Da Rodney finder ud af hvem, der i virkeligheden er med ombord, virker den uvorne søn dog som barnemad; i stedet for Francis, har hans søster, Lisbeth, sneget sig om bord, og en kvinde ombord på sit skib er ikke lige, hvad Rodney havde i tankerne.

Dybt ulykkelig bliver den unge Pandora anbragt hos sin onkel, biskoppen af Linchester, der er gift med en yderst ubehagelig kvinde, som beslutter, at Pandora skal giftes med den frastødende kapellan. Ude af sig selv søger hun tilflugt hos en fjern fætter, der lever et udsvævende liv i Pandoras mors barndomhjem - men Pandora sætter sig med det samme for at redde denne synder fra sin fortabelse.

For at undgå et ægteskab med den letsindige Lady Louise, skynder jarlen af Rockbrook at gifte sig over hoved og hals med den yndige, jævne landsbypige Purilla Cranford, som han forventer vil blive ham en godmodig og opofrende hustru. Efter ægteskabets indgåelse venter der dog jarlen noget af en overraskelse, da det viser sig at Purilla er meget mere end en jævn landsbypige, men har ben i næsen og sin egen mening - især om jarlen.

Efter sin kones død siger Malcolm Worthington farvel til en lovende karriere i diplomatiet. Han tager til Middelhavet for at glemme, og her træffer han to kvinder. Den uselviske og livsbekræftende Elizabeth, som lærer ham at elske igen, og den smukke, ulykkelige Maricia, som Malcolm kun føler foragt for, indtil han er ved at miste hende.