Sara Seale

"Lady Georgiana Rannoch, thirty-fifth in line for the British throne, knows how to play the part of an almost royal--but now she's off to Hollywood, where she must reprise her role as sleuth or risk starring in an all-too-convincing death scene ... My mother, the glamorous and much-married actress, is hearing wedding bells once again--which is why she must hop across the pond for a quickie divorce in Reno. To offer my moral support, and since all expenses are paid by her new hubby-to-be, Max, I agree to make the voyage with her. Crossing the Atlantic, with adventure in the air and wealthy men aboard, Mother all but forgets about Max and matrimony--especially when movie mogul Cy Goldman insists on casting her in his next picture. Meanwhile, I find myself caught up in the secret investigation of a suspected jewel thief. Lucky for me, the lead investigator happens to be my dashing beau, Darcy! Mother's movie and Darcy's larceny lead everyone to Cy's Hollywood home, where the likes of Charlie Chaplin are hanging about and there's enough romantic intrigue to fill a double feature. But we hardly get a chance to work out the sleeping arrangements before Cy turns up dead--as if there wasn't enough drama already ..."--

The great love of Christy Tavener's life was Fairmile the gracious country house which was her family home. But would her crotchety but loveable grandfather, last of the Taveners, leave it to her in his will? Or did he disapprove too strongly of her modern ways and refusal to settle down and produce heirs to follow him? Christy realized that she ought to marry, if only to safeguard herself against Sir Harry's nurse, who seemed quiet and demure enough but who, Christy was sure, would not object to marrying her patient and becoming mistress of Fairmile herself. A lean, dark stranger was willing to help, but he was something of an enigma -- and an infuriating enigma, too. Where did he come from -- and why did be bear that name?

For a year the glamorous Sylvie had been corresponding with Adam Soames, and the personality revealed in the letters had so intrigued him that now he was coming home to visit her. But the letters had actually been written by Sylvie's younger, plainer cousin Sarah. What would happen when the three of them met at last?

The Young Amanda... Struggling to adapt to her new life, Amanda wished she'd never inherited her grandfather's fortune. Now she'd never know for certain whether people were attracted to her for her own worth or for her money. She almost longed to be back in the safety of the orphanage! But then she wouldn't have met Grant. The Truant Bride... Matilda Mole, young and emotionally confused, was in love with an impossible dream. It took her a long time to wake up to her true feelings and realize that the security and cherishing she'd lacked all her life were to be found in Justin's love. Beggars May Sing... It was no use, Gina thought, she shouldn't have returned to Ireland. For the first time she began to question her motives for refusing to marry Mark. Their love was not in doubt; only her pride stood between them. Could she possibly overcome it and go back to him?

It was a tremendous step for Lucy Lamb to leave her work in the children's wards of St. Minver's Hospital and marry the famous surgeon, Bartlemy Travers. Many a woman envied Lucy her marriage to this attractive doctor, who had a romantic hint of past tragedy to heighten his fascination. But Lucy knew that she came to Polvane, his big house beside the Cornish sea, as an unloved wife, haunted always by the ghost of her lovely predecessor, and wanted by nobody but one small motherless boy. The situation was a strange one, and neither Lucy nor Bart guessed that the Matron herself of St. Minver's had determined to play a hand in fashioning both their destinies. Lucy was not a fighter, not the type to mould people and events to suit herself, but she had strength of character in her own gentle way. Would it be enough to bring happiness and warmth to her strange new home?

Matilda was very young and defiant, and more than a little mixed-up emotionally. But she was not entirely devoid of sense — and when she got herself engaged to Justin Justice, whom she did not love and who she had no reason to suppose cared about her, it was not long before she realised how foolish she had been. Being Matilda, she decided the best solution was to run away — back to her beloved Cornwall, to Missy who had been like a mother to her, and to Guy, who had cared for her when they were both very young and who might well come to care for her again. But Matilda had left just one thing out of her calculations — and when Justin followed her to St. Cuby, with every intention of staying there, she was forced to realise that perhaps he had a point of view too. But what, exactly, was it?

It was a tremendous step for Lucy Lamb to leave her work in the children's wards of St. Minver's Hospital and marry the famous surgeon, Bartlemy Travers. Many a woman envied Lucy her marriage to this attractive doctor, who had a romantic hint of past tragedy to heighten his fascination. But Lucy knew that she came to Polvane, his big house beside the Cornish sea, as an unloved wife, haunted always by the ghost of her lovely predecessor, and wanted by nobody but one small motherless boy. The situation was a strange one, and neither Lucy nor Bart guessed that the Matron herself of St. Minver's had determined to play a hand in fashioning both their destinies. Lucy was not a fighter, not the type to mould people and events to suit herself, but she had strength of character in her own gentle way. Would it be enough to bring happiness and warmth to her strange new home?

Would the family legend come true? Laura felt young and defenseless in the turbulent Trevayne household - completely overshadowed by her glamorous cousin Cleo. Cleo, widow of Troilus, the third brother, considered herself a true Trevayne and was certainly as unpredictable as the philandering Perry and the arrogant Dominic. It was unfortunate that it was Perry who treated Laura as a woman; for Laura was in love with Dominic, and he regarded her as a child.

Maggy was young, alone in the world after her father's death, untrained and too inexperienced to make much of a way in life; although she had a job of sorts, as companion/dogsbody to a tyrannical old lady, life did not seem to be holding out much of a future for her. Garth Shelton, years older than Maggy, crippled and embittered, was indifferent to anything that life might have in store for him. All the same he was touched by young Maggy's plight - and in a quixotic fit he proposed marriage to her as the one way in which she could escape. And so began their strange life together - a marriage that was no marriage, between two people who might yet come to realise their growing feelings for each other, if only Maggy could forget the one barrier to Garth's loving her - his former love, the elusive and lovely Sabrina. "Don't shut me out" she begged. "Please!" Maggy knew her words violated the terms of their relationship. But she was no longer the immature girl who had married Garth with no thought to the future. Even Garth had changed. He had thought nothing mattered, saw no reason to live. But the strange months of their marriage had revealed startling chinks in his armor of detachment. Could she now persuade him to grasp the one chance that might give them a full life together?

Emma Penelope Clay was only twenty, and inexperienced in most things except the care of the pedigree Alsatians in whose world she had been brought up - and it might have seemed like leading a lamb to the slaughter when she went to work at the Kennels of the rich, spoilt Marian Mills. But there was an unexpected streak of firmness in Emma's character, which at least helped her to hold her own with her imperious employer. But the vet, Max Grainger, was a different kettle of fish indeed. Nothing in Emma's limited experience had taught her how to regard his enigmatical attentions - and when Miss Mills sharply ordered her not to get ideas about 'her' property, Emma had not enough self-confidence to disobey. But Max Grainger had not yet had the last word....

An engagement of convenience could matter little to either party in the circumstances, but it would seem that timid Anna Crewe was the last person to be involved with the headstrong Peverils: Gran, who had always ruled the family; Ruth, antagonistic for reasons of her own; Rick, still in love with his beautiful cousin who, like all the Peverils, took what she wanted and did not count the cost. A summer at Trevallion brought many changes to all of them, but for Anna it was a summer that changed her whole life.

NURSE IN INDIA by Juliet Armstrong Can one bury the past? Put it behind one forever? Nurse Stella Hantley, travelling in India as secretary-nurse to kind Miss Jellings, would have answered "Yes" to that question. She found it hard to believe that she had ever danced on the stage and dreamed of becoming a star; and the episode which had shattered her career was little more than a shadowy memory. She was safe now and could reach out to take the happiiness which Roger Fendish, she knew, was on the point of offering her- and then Allegra, lovely and treacherous, came suddenly back into herlife, seeking for a second tme to rob her of all she valued. THE GENTLE PRISONER by Sara Seale Here is the tender story of Nicholas Penryn, who lived as ann embittered recluse in a remote part of Cornwall. Badly scarred, he could not believe that any woman could be other than repulsed by him- until his strange marriage to a young girl whose gentle ways at last touched even his unhappy heart. THE HOUSE OF SEVEN FOUNTAINS by Anne Weale The air journey from England to Malaya takes rather more than three days and nights. During that flight Vivien sat next to a tall, dark, handsomedoctor - and he hardly spoke to her except to put her markedly in the wrong during an annoying incident in Rangoon. So she was more surprised than pleased when she reached the House of Seven Fountains, the lovely Chinese-style mansion which had been left to her by her godfather, to find him making free use of her swimming pool. Still, he had been her godfather's friend, and doctors have a way of becoming necessary whether one wants to see them or not. And as their relectant acquaintance grew, both were forced to acknowledge that their first inpressions had been mistaken.

For most of her young life Clancy O'Shane had led a wild existence in her home out on the west coast of Ireland, but now she had reached the age of seventeen, her father had decided that more discipline was necessary, so he had engaged a tutor. That in itself was annoying enough to the wayward Clancy, but when the intruder turned out to be an Englishman — and one, moreover, who bore the hated name of Cromwell — she vowed to lose no time in getting rid of him. But she had reckoned without the firm character of Mark Cromwell — and the unexpected behaviour of her own heart.

Sarah had all kinds of names for the guardian she hadn't seen for years--the G.I. (Guardian of Innocence), The Myth, Poor Fish -- just as she had all kinds of ingenious plans to get rid of him when he came. She wanted no interference in her young life. Unfortunately, in a mistaken moment of confidence, she told James Fane all about them, before she knew who he was. James was amused--but as her guardian, he was quite prepared to be firm!

Louise was the relation as far as her cousins, the Chaileys, were concerned, and when her glamorous cousin Melissa was planning her wedding to wealthy playboy Piers Merrick, Louise was given the comparatively humble part of the youngest (and least important!) bridesmaid. Nevertheless, when at the last moment Melissa walked out on him, it was to Louise that Piers turned, and asked her to marry him instead - a proposal which she was happy to accept.

Masquerade by Anne Mather Samantha learns her mother is alive & a famous actress, but who doesn't want to admit she has a twenty-one year old daughter. Rata Flowers Are Red by Mary Moore Judy believed that love was everything in marriage. She had to convince Mark not to marry for money. Unknown Mr Brown by Sara Seale Victoria wanted to meet her benefactor so she could learn whether her romantic fantasies about him were warranted.