Essie Summers

Children's writer Brodie Nicol returns to her native New Zealand to visit her old friend Una Isbister. While driving out to Una's home Brodie finds herself in the middle of a snowstorm and seeks refuge at a nearby farmhouse - only to discover that the farm and its owner's children are being looked after by Guthrie Chisholm - her ex-fiance. Furthermore, Brodie discovers that she will not be able to leave immediately the snowstorm abates - because the farm is in quarantine. Clearly Una had known that Guthrie was staying nearby, and had planned a little matchmaking in inviting Brodie to stay. And it would appear that nature had helped her endeavours along immeasurably. But what Una doesn't know - and what no one except Brodie knows - is the true reason she had suddenly ended her engagement to Guthrie two years ago. In fact, even Guthrie does not know that two years ago, Brodie had overheard the conversation which took place in a pretty little English church, between himself and a woman called Anne.

Would fate again deny her a chance at love? Maria was delighted to accompany Mrs. Jensen to New Zealand as her nursing companion. And it seemed the perfect opportunity to trace the father she'd never known. After a few glorious months there, she knew she'd found her home, if not her father. For if "home is where the heart is," Maria's home was at Heronshaw with Struan Mandeville. But even as she hoped and dreamed, she knew there was one reason why it would never work ....

Up until now, journalist Greta Mountford had led a roving life, but as her June wedding to Martin draws near, it seems she is going to realise her dream and finally put down her roots. However, whilst researching an assignment, Greta discovers that Martin has been having an affair. Greta resolves to break their engagement, but before she can do so, fate steps in; Martin is killed on the way home. Faced with this double grief, Greta feels she must get away and have a complete change. Through a New Zealand connection, she hears that a sheep and deer farm in New Zealand's Lake District needs help while its owner, Caleb Armstrong, is away on an agricultural mission in Europe. The change of scene and spectacular surroundings work their magic on Greta. But the return of Caleb Armstrong heralds the end of her new found peace of mind. For his presence - and her attraction to him - is far too disturbing for comfort...

Whilst in London, Eleanor Seaton and Sarah Raeburn, two sisters from New Zealand, meet Georgina Innes, who works in the genealogical section of a tourist firm. When they invite Georgina to return with them to their remote sheep station to write up their family history, she jumps at the chance. In New Zealand, Georgina sifts through the family's papers and is amazed to discover that she is related to them. However, she is reluctant to reveal this information -- and especially to Seth Oliphant, the sisters' handsome nephew.

Kirsten MacPherson was dressed and ready for her wedding to Gilbert when the phone call arrived that was to shatter her life -- the call from the woman to whom Gilbert was already married. Kirsty's immediate instinct was to run blindly away -- back to New Zealand, the land of her childhood. But even there her troubles followed her, and led to even more complications.

She, a MacDonald, love a Campbell? Edward Campbell had a totally unjustified reason for despising Fiona MacDonald, but she was certainly not going to explain her actions to a "stuffy colonial" she'd never see again! Unfortunately, Fiona did meet him again--as the uncle of her four young charges on a remote New Zealand sheep station. And it seemed the ancient feud between the clans was being revived. Too late then to wish they'd started out differently.

Lindsay's stepfather had never exactly accepted his responsibilities - in fact, he had deserted her mother years ago and left her, and then Lindsay, to bring up his two children as best they could. So when, out of the blue, he wrote to Lindsay from New Zealand offering her and the two youngsters a home on his sheep station, Lindsay felt that for their sakes she must accept. But things did not work out quite as she had anticipated. Her stepfather died before they arrived, and Lindsay was confronted by his manager, Euan Hazeldean, who was convinced that Lindsay had only come out to get what pickings she could from the estate. And Lindsay, in her turn, was sure that this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. So it was a pity that, as co-guardians of the children, they should be obliged to see so much of each other!

Heatherleigh, her grandfather's New Zealand farm, was to belong to Roberta O'More one day, so when her parents died it was natural that she should return there to live. Unfortunately, it appeared that Muir Buchanan, her grandfather's neighbour and right-hand man, also hoped to inherit Heatherleigh, and when he began to show interest in Roberta, it was only too clear what his real motives were. Which was a pity, as against her better judgement she couldn't stop herself falling in love with him. Also published by MILLS AND BOON in 1965 in the Pre-Rose paperback edition. First published by M&B in 1957 as 'New Zealand Inheritance'. Also published under the name 'Heatherleigh.'

It was only after Lucy and Stephen Charteris had died that their daughter Faith learned that she was not their real daughter at all, but adopted - more, that both her real parents were still living, although they had long ago parted and each had remarried. Her father, it seemed, was in New Zealand, and Faith could not rest until she had gone there in search of him. But the real problem, she soon realised, was her father's grim stepson Gareth Morgan, who could not forget the old family scandal that had almost ruined his own parents life - and who could not forgive Faith for it either! '

Annabel Lee had been brought up in an orphanage, but had always longed to be able to trace her father, and at last she decided to follow the few slender clues she had to her real identity. They led her to the most beautiful place in the world - where Annabel not only found what she was seeking, but met Gideon Darroch, the most wonderful man in the world, too! How would he feel if he knew the reason she had come?

She was known as "Letitia for Loveliness": If Nathaniel Pengelly had not so desperately needed a governess for his isolated sheep station, Letty knew he would never willingly have hired her - the head beautician in his father's store. In Nathaniel's own words, that sort of woman could only prove to be "artificial, totally unsuitable and probably a mischief maker." Nevertheless, Letty was determined to prove herself, and she accepted the last-minute offer. As for the high and mighty Nathaniel Pengelly, Letty vowed, he'd learn a lesson he'd never forget!

When an old friend gifted Elizabeth Lucinda Stirling a cottage on the Banks Peninsula, she leaped at the chance to leave the daily grind of newspaper life and focus on writing her novels. It was a pity that her new editor was as interested in romancing her as in editing her columns; it was more of a pity that her leaving the newspaper didn’t discourage him in his attentions; it was even more of a pity that he had a disreputable past that had ended in a broken marriage…but most of all it was a pity that Elizabeth couldn’t help liking him more than any man she had ever known, and couldn’t help longing for his company. Was Jeremy Ffoulkes still the unreliable Jeremy of the past? Or should Elizabeth gamble that his love for her was true?

"Take this money and spread your wings. It's meant to bring you joy." Aunt Amabel wanted Monique to take a break from shouldering the family burdons, to take a cruise to the other side of the world, find adventure, freedom, and possible romance. But Monique had other dreams. Her heart was set on tracing her roots in Port Beauchamp, the home her grandfather had left in disgrace years ago. She was undecided - until an outrageous encounter with a chivalrous stranger gave her the push she needed.

Veronica Blakeley's job was antiques, and when she received a letter from two old ladies somewhere up in the hills of New Zealand's South island, saying they had some for sale, she felt there might be some treasure trove, and off she went. But they had warned her that there was a dragon nephew there too, who wouldn't take kindly to the idea. And then somehow it all went wrong - and instead of doing business Veronica found herself, for the best of reasons, masquerading as the fiancee of said nephew, Dermid MacBride. And as time went by, it became more and more difficult to tell him the truth.

Hired by telegram—and by mistake. Valancy Adam-Smith had never even heard of novelist Godfrey Carmichael when she applied by wire for the job as his secretary. So his fury when he discovered "V. Adam-Smith" was female both startled and intrigued her. Who were the women who had so bitterly disillusioned him? And why, Valancy wondered, should it matter to her that Godfrey's former fiancée had returned to New Zealand, obviously hoping for a reconciliation.

When her stepfather's death left Luenda in debt, and with three children to support, she seemed to need a miracle -- and that's just what a friend's will provided. A year free of expense on an isolated farm with the possibility of inheriting half the property. But Gwillym Vaughan owned the other half, and he was obsessed with gaining complete control -- and marriage to Luenda would secure it. But Luenda refused to marry for his profit, no matter how he tried to weaken her resistance. And he wasn't an easy man to resist!

"Never the time and the place, and the loved one all together" Said Browning, and many a lover has since sighed over the accuracy of his remark. The time and the place of Catherine's first meeting with Hugh Murdoch, whose secretary she was about to become, were uncommonly ill-chosen (if you could call it choosing), and as for loved ones, Catherine was engaged to a handsome young sports master, and looking forward to an early and blissful marriage. The part, if any, that love played in Hugh's life was obscure, but it seemed that there was a lovely, mysterious blonde who was more than willing to devote herself to him. From their first odd meeting Catherine and Hugh had a strangely unsettling relationship, bedevilled with misunderstandings, yet it was destined to develop into one of lasting happiness.

He was too near -- and not to be trusted. Having Jonathan back in New Zealand was torture for Camilla. Five years had passed since she'd painfully broken their engagement, though she'd kept her knowledge of his dishonesty a secret. No matter how appealing Jonathan was now, she could never forget what he had done. Yet Camilla was swept with a longing for things to be different, that money didn't mean everything to Jonathan--that she could trust the only man she could ever love.

They stared at each other in dismay Rosamond recalled seeing this unknown man's disgusted face over Gaspard MacQueen's shoulder when she'd kissed him good-bye in England. Gaspard, who had loved and lost her grandmother years ago, and who'd offered Rosamond the job here in New Zealand. So this was Matthieu, the grandson Gaspard had assured her would welcome and look after her until his return. Rosamond had arrived with such high hopes, but now her heart sank. For Matthieu was convinced that Rosamond was a gold digger, out to capture his grandfather's money.

You and your sister are two of a kind! " Judith had always had trouble with her stepsister, so when Lorette got engaged to a young farmer Judith felt a great relief. But it soon appeared that Lorette's fiance's family wanted to prevent the marriage, and Judith responded to her stepsister's selfish demands for help one last time, to try to keep the engagement together. She had formidable opposition from the autocratic Craig Argyll, who didn't like Judith at all. "Another woman with an eye to the main chance! " he said.