The demure but beautiful Alecia Stambrook sorely misses her late mother, Lady Sophie. And now that her uncle, the Earl of Langhaven, has also died, there will be no more of the generous stipend that Alecia's father had relied on to survive as the books that he writes bring in very little money.. When her much-loved cousin Charis arrives unexpectedly at her home, Alecia is heartened although taken aback by her strange request. Charis asks her to pretend to be her, as they look very much alike, and visit the Guardian she has never met at the English Garrison in Cambrai in France, while she marries the love of her life secretly in London.. The Guardian, General Lord Kiniston, sound old and ill-tempered, but, when Charis offers her five hundred pounds, which is enough to keep her and her father for some years, Alecia nervously agrees to go ahead with the pretence. Arriving in Cambrai, Alecia is amazed to find not only that the imperious and frightening Lord Kiniston is not old at all, but the youngest General in the Army and extremely good-looking! And then she is horrified that he expects her, as Charis, to marry him against her will! But then, when she foils a murderous bomb plot, saving the lives of the Duke of Wellington, Lord Kiniston and many more, everything changes and love casts out fear forever.

Author Biography

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.