Mills & Boon Classics

When Trina Meriton first went to work in Andrew Dalwin's big country house not far from Sydney, she wondered why there were no photographs of him about. As soon as she set eyes on him she knew the reason. His face had been badly scarred in an accident. As she grew to know him better she realised that the episode had marked him in more ways than one, for it had left him convinced that women were selfish and worthless and that all who appeared interested in him were only after his money. So it came about that when Trina, herself recovering from an unhappy affair, found that she was falling in love with Andrew, she had before her an exceptionally difficult task in overcoming his suspicion and distrust.

Pat Brading had gone out to West Africa partly to be with her father and partly to avoid the situation which was developing between her and her old friend Stephen Holman. She felt it was not fair to Steve's fiancee - and anyway, the prospect of Africa had always fascinated her. It turned out to be everything Pat had always dreamed it would - so much so that, when Steve followed her out there, announcing that his engagement was off and begging her to marry him and return to England, Pat refused. But what was she really clinging to - Africa, or the teak-hard rubber planter Nick Farland, who had always treated her as a kid sister but never as a woman?

"Just pretend that the man you wish to marry is standing before you," the famous designer Florian instructed Anthea as she waited to model the wedding dress in the grand finale of his Paris Spring Collection. But the man Anthea wished to marry was out there in the salon - with the woman who had taken Anthea's place as his future bride.

The first time he saw Tess Bentley, Dave Patterson mistook her for a boy. When he found that she was, in fact, a nineteen-year-old girl, and that she was running, single-handed, a general store in the middle of the African veld without relative or friend to help her, he went into action. Despite Tess's protests, in no time he was arranging to take the store out of her hands and reorganizing her life in typically ruthless fashion. The gentle, undemanding friendship of Martin Cramer came as a welcome antidote to Dave's forceful tactics -- but Martin's need of her was to bring Tess grief and misunderstanding when, in spite of herself, she fell in love with the overwhelming stranger who had taken over her life.

When Andre Savary, a bachelor and by no means an old one, found himself responsible for the upbringing of three orphaned nieces, he decided that they must have someone to look after them, make a home for them and see that they did not forget their English--their mother's language. And that is how Lorna Darwell came to be installed in the spacious Savary villa on the shores of the beautiful lake of Lugano. There, and in their chalet in the Alps, she learned to feel a real and deep affection for the girls, and her care for their welfare proved to be a key that unlocked the door to her own happiness.

Nicola Graham, who is sweet and ordinary and not without her dreams, accompanies Helen Raynor to the huge West African estate which is owned by the Raynor brothers. John is Helen's husband, and his older brother, David, is a bachelor and very much against bringing women into the tropics. He has given in to Helen's plea to be with her husband with the greatest reluctance. From the beginning David regards Nicky as a nice little thing who would be happier in an English suburban home. At every opportunity he urges her to leave West Africa before the climate exacts a toll of her health. But Nicky cheerfully combats boredom, pests and food difficulties. She would have been exceedingly happy had not an attractive young war widow claimed David's help and loyalty. Quite obviously, Diana Godfrey intends to acquire as a husband the wealthy and elusive David Raynor. Nicky is unsophisticated; she has no weapon against the experienced Diana, nothing to offer David but her own sturdy personality. Her problem is happily worked out against the lush background of rubber and palm oil plantations, and the dazzling coastal town of Cape Fargas.

Angela Gordon was glamorous and ambitious, and determined not to live for ever in London in near-poverty. When she and her sister inherited an unexpected legacy, she persuaded Sara to spend it on a luxury trip to the Bahamas, where she felt sure that she at least would find a rich husband. So they flew off to the romantic, sunny Caribbean, and in no time Angela's hopes were justified when a young American millionaire fell in love with her. But Stephen Rand, the owner of the hotel where they had established themselves, seemed more attracted by Sara's quieter charms - and Sara soon realised that she was returning his love. But she had led him to believe she was a rich Society girl, and sooner or later she would have to confess the truth. Would it mean the end of everything between them?

Heartfree, carefree, a favourite of fortune – that was Hamilton Roone. With looks, position, and money, he certainly merited the description. So when he found and married the little nobody Anna, rescuing her from a life of dullness and poverty, his family were genuinely horrified. For her own part, Anna felt guiltily that she was receiving everything from him and giving nothing in exchange; the fact that she loved him deeply and sincerely seemed to her to carry little weight in the face of the material benefits she was receiving from her marriage. And so began Anna’s long hard struggle to save the situation – but it was only when things went wrong trhat the two of them at last began to find each other.

Her aunt's legacy of a cottage on the Costa Brava had some curiously hampering conditions attached to it, Linda thought. In fact, it was really a thinly-disguised attempt to manoeuvre Linda into marrying a Spaniard. Aunt Natalie had even chosen the man, and he was handsome and charming as anyone could wish. Linda's English neighbour had charm too, and the whole situation might have developed into a pleasant, harmless comedy if Maxine had not turned up. For where Maxine went, drama — and even, if she was thwarted in getting her own way, disaster —tended to follow.

Andrea was used to roaming all over the world with her brother, and the prospect of a three-week trip into the Malayan jungle with him held no terrors for her. But James Ferguson, the doctor who was to act as guide to the expedition was adamant that he would not have her along. This was a decision that Andrea had no intention of taking lying down, and she managed to follow the party and join them after all. But in the primitive conditions of jungle life she was to see Doctor Ferguson in quite a different light...

Morag Grant had been holidaying in Greece when she met Pericles Holmes. Pericles, it appeared, was in urgent need of a wife — mainly to take care of his motherless two children — and when he proposed to Morag she at once accepted. Partly she was glad of the chance to get away from home and from her beautiful, spoilt stepsister Delia, who was accustomed to getting everything she wanted — especially from Morag! —and partly, she had to admit, because she had promptly fallen in love with Pericles. And she might in time have persuaded him to fall in love with her, had not Delia arrived in Greece herself, announcing that this time she wanted Morag's husband!

Widowed after only a year of blissfully happy marriage to Alexis, Stacey felt she could never love again. It was for the sake of her small son that she accepted the invitation of her rich father-in-law to visit him at his home, the lovely Greek island of Melaenus. But complications set in once Stacey met Alexis' half-brother Paul. It was clear from the start that they were both attracted to one another - but was Stacey's feeling real? Or was it that she saw Paul only as a reincarnation of her dead husband? And what of Leda, who it had always been assumed would marry Paul herself some day? Could Stacey take her chance of happiness again without hurting a number of people in the process.

It takes a very special type of courage to admit defeat, but Lesley and her father now had to face the inevitable. Two tobacco crops had failed, and reluctantly they must sell up and start again elsewhere. But the buyer of their farm was Fernando del Cuero, chief engineer of the nearby hydroelectric scheme. And Senor del Cuero announced that the valuable mineral, berillium, had been discovered on their land. Lesley was unwilling to profit from an industry that would ruin the beautiful land she loved, and was instinctively antagonistic to the man who had stepped in and taken over their lives. But she found events slipping out of her control. The arrival of Virginia, her elder sister, disturbed her deeply. This glamorous young woman's actions were always self interested. She came to Africa anxious only for what she could take, not what she could give.

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.'

To hop from Kensington to Nyasaland at a moment’s notice was disturbing, but so intent was Lou Prentice on her mission, that she scarcely noticed the flight. Lou was to pick up her cousin’s little boy, suddenly left an orphan, and bring him home. It proved to be a very difficult matter!

An unknown benefactor had sufficient faith in Anthea Benton's singing voice to pay for her training under the celebrated operatic conductor, Oscar Warrender. She was ecstatic, but her joy was short-lived when she came face to face with the great man. Cold and forbidding, he proved to be a hard taskmaster. She felt her dreams can be coming true... but would she be tough enough to work under such and exacting taskmaster?

Stephanie McMaster thought the world of her father, and would have done almost anything to make him happy – but she had never imagined that her loyalty to him would be stretched as it was being now. For her father was facing ruin, and the only way Stephanie could save him was to accede to Santino Venturo’s request that she should marry him and go to live with him in his castle in Sicily. Santino made it clear from the start that it was not a real wife that he wanted but a companion for his little motherless daughter; the marriage would be in name only just for the sake of propriety. In any case, it was clear that Santino was still devoted to the memory of his dead wife Sanchia. So why had he wanted to marry Stephanie at all? And where did her feelings come into it?

Chrys didn’t trust men, and she had no intention of allowing herself to fall in love with one and sacrifice her career as a ballet dancer as a result. And when an unhappy accident meant that she must rest for a year and forget her dancing altogether during that time, she was even more determined not to get involved in any romantic situation. It was not, therefore, the best time for her to meet Anton de Casenove, who was just the type of man she most needed to be on her guard against – half Russian prince, half man of the desert; a romantic combination. Conscious of his overwhelming masculine appeal, Chrys hurriedly got a job that would take her right away from him, into the heart of the Arabian desert. But Anton de Casenove was a determined man…

There had been two men so far in Madeline's life - her late husband, Joe, and her boss, Adrian. Both had been kind and uncomplicated, wanting only to cherish and look after her. But now another man had surged into her life - Nicholas Vitale. Handsome, dynamic, devastatingly attractive, he was utterly unlike anyone she had ever met before. But he certainly could not be described as gentle or kind, still less did he want to protect and cherish her. And Madeline could not resist him. In getting so far out of her depth with Nicholas, was Madeline doing anything but stirring up trouble for herself? And what about her duty to that other important person in her life - her young daughter Diana?

Elizabeth's journey to Cape Town included the very reverse of a shipboard romance, for a lively mutual dislike was established between her and a certain tall, dark passenger. So it was a shock to her to learn on landing that there was a very close connection between this man, Nigel Van Kane, and the father she had come so many miles to see. Worse, she was going to be in a position where she would have to be grateful to him! Yet Elizabeth wasn't at all keen on the alternative - to accept help from the beautiful Carol Wainwright. And too late she realised why: she was jealous of the undoubted power Carol had over the aloof Nigel ...

Young Ashley Calder’s whole life changed when she met Jake Seton. For Jake was unlike any other man she had ever met, and beyond her reach in just about every way. He was far too old and sophisticated for her, his social sphere was far removed from her own – and above all, he was shortly to be married this fiancée, the glamorous Barbara Forrest. So why did he persist in making it clear to Ashley that the attraction was by no means only on her side?

When Erica married her boss she was under no illusions as to the nature of the marriage. She knew that for Oliver it was merely one of convenience, that he would never have considered her had he not lost the woman he really loved. All the same, Erica did love him, and she couldn't help hoping that with time and patience her marriage might turn into something deeper and more satisfying than a business arrangement. But Erica had managed to conceal from Oliver the fact that just before the wedding his old love had come back and tried to get in touch with him. Would he ever forgive her if he discovered how she had deceived him?

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.