The Wicked Widow

Barbara Cartland

Oct 2021 · The Eternal Collection Book 284 · Barbara Cartland EBooks ltd

About this ebook

Since their adored father, Lord Shenley, passed away, the beautiful young Kyla Shenley and her little brother, Terry, have no one to care for them except for their despised stepmother, Sybil, who has already taken a lover and is plotting to get her greedy hands on the children’s large inheritance. 

When Kyla overhears her plans to ensure that young Terry has a ‘fatal accident’ and to drug Kyla and hand her over to a ghastly old man called ‘Lord Frome’ to face a life of debauchery, she sees no alternative but for them both to flee as far away as possible from their appalling stepmother.

Heading for Lilliecote Castle and their beloved Nanny who works there for the Earl of Granston, they are accosted by a highwayman in a wood, but he turns out to be a particularly nice ‘gentleman of the road’, who demands only one of their sandwiches and even offers his protection should they find themselves in dire straits. 

When they arrive at The Castle, Nanny suggests that the Master, the Earl of Granston, should not be aware of their identities in case their wicked stepmother comes there seeking them. 

And, passing off Kyla as a new Governess to the Earl’s young niece, Jane, Nanny shows them how to hide in The Castle’s ancient secret passages and Priests’ Holes. 

But, as the handsome and authoritative Earl takes them under his wing, he suspects that there is more to the lovely Kyla than meets the eye. 

So eventually it is he, together with their highwayman friend, who defeats the Wicked Widow and her gang of evil accomplices in a terrifying battle in which the Earl wins Kyla’s heart and soul.

About the author

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.