The Impetuous Duchess

Barbara Cartland

Aug 2013 · The Eternal Collection Book 72 · Barbara Cartland EBooks ltd

About this ebook

When the austere, reserved Drue, the Duke of Warminster, is asked by a servant at a Scottish posting inn if he will give a lift to a little old lady whose carriage has broken down, he reluctantly agrees. But then he is outraged to discover that the frail old lady is a young red-haired beauty called Jabina, who has run away from home and a marriage forced on her by her father. When their own carriage overturns, severely injuring the Duke, the pair are taken in by aristocratic friends of JabinaÕs father Ð and Jabina, terrified of being sent home, tells their hosts that she and Drue are married. The Duke is then appalled to find that through an obscure Scottish law he is now actually and legally married to this unruly and impulsive young girl. But, as they travel together to France and fall into mortal danger as Napoleon Bonaparte declares war on England, their mutual dislike blossoms into a burgeoning passion Ð the question now is whether they will ever to able to escape from France and return to England to fulfil their unspoken love.

About the author

Barbara Cartland was the world's most prolific novelist, having written an astounding 723 books in her lifetime, including 644 romantic novels that achieved worldwide sales of over one billion copies and were translated into 36 different languages. In addition to romantic novels, she also authored historical biographies, six autobiographies, theatrical plays, and advice books on life, love, vitamins, and cookery. Cartland penned her first book, "Jigsaw," at the age of 21, which became an immediate bestseller, selling 100,000 copies in hardback in England and throughout Europe in translation. Remarkably, between the ages of 77 and 97, she increased her literary output, writing an incredible 400 romances to meet the global demand for her work. She wrote her final book at the age of 97, prophetically titled "The Way to Heaven." Her popularity was immense in the United States, where in 1976 her current books held the number 1 and 2 spots on the B. Dalton bestsellers list simultaneously, a unique achievement. Barbara Cartland became a legend in her lifetime, particularly cherished for her romantic novels. Her works are treasured for their moral messages, pure and innocent heroines, handsome and dashing heroes, blissful happy endings, and above all, her belief in the power of love as the most important aspect of life. Her millions of readers around the world continue to collect her books to read again and again, especially during times of misery or depression, finding solace in the love and happiness that define her stories.