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Barbara Cartland

Hiding from the Fortune-Hunters

The beautiful Colena Dalton has inherited a great fortune following the untimely death of her enormously rich father, Sir Arthur Dalton, in Paris after a long illness.
After overhearing the Comtesse de Lyons telling her charmless son, Pierre, that he must propose to Colena as they need the money, she decides that she wants to marry a man who really loves her for herself and not for her money
It is then that she and her cousin, Elizabeth, who has been living with Colena and her father in France, decide to change places.
The two girls return to London where they join the Social world and are at once invited to endless parties as Sir Arthur’s death has been widely reported in all the newspapers.
And immediately the fortune-hunters start circling. One of them called Oliver Stone becomes particularly persistent and bombards Elizabeth, thinking that she is Colena, with attention and invitations, while ignoring Colena.
As expected he proposes marriage and will not be shaken off whatever the girls try and in order to escape him they drive of Colena’s father’s house in the country.
There they find they find that two famous paintings have been stolen and hearing that there is to be a sale of pictures and other treasures nearby, the girls go there to try to replace the pictures.
It is then that they meet up again unexpectedly with the unpleasant Oliver Stone who tries to abduct Elizabeth and force into marrying him.
Then an unfortunate accident occurs that changes everything.
How Colena and Elizabeth meet the men of their dreams, who love them for themselves and not for their money, is told in this intriguing story by BARBARA CARTLAND.
148 printed pages
Copyright owner
Barbara Cartland Ebooks Ltd.
Original publication
2015
Publication year
2014
Have you already read it? How did you like it?
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Impressions

  • fatimahj07shared an impression4 years ago

    “You are not the only person who will miss him,” Elizabeth replied. “He is renowned for the brilliant way he has helped so many people become almost as rich as he was himself.” - wealth spreads among those of the same class 😏

    Colena pulled off the black hat she had worn at her father’s funeral and then threw it onto a chair before she sat down in front of the mirror to tidy her hair. - Can't tell whether the typists made grammatical errors or this is Cartland's way of chattering on 💭

    “I just want to be left alone, to be myself and not merely Papa’s daughter. If I do marry, as I expect I will because I love children, I want to marry a man because I am me and not because I am Papa’s daughter.” At the same time she thought that going on and on about just how marvellous Sir Arthur had been - "going on and on" describes the banter in this book lol

    As the years passed and he travelled all over the world growing richer and richer from every country that he visited and, being politically involved in the Empire, which was growing year by year, there had been no opportunity for him to look up his relatives. - travelled, and likely, looted...

    “It is quite simple really,” Colena began. “I am just asking you, if necessary on my knees, that, when we go back to England, we change places. I am you and you are me!” - that took around 12 pages...

    “I do promise you one thing and that is that you will find Englishmen far more attractive and far more honest when they start paying you compliments.” - from what I understand about fortune-hunters, they come in every shape, race and form...

    “When we leave London and move to the country,” Colena said, “we will have a steeplechase where Papa used to have them and only allow men to compete, not women.” - forego steeplechases, they're a danger to the horses. A real equine lover wouldn't put their interest above those of the horse.

    Colena had learnt to drive when she was ten when her father had thought that she was old enough to control a horse and she flattered herself that now she was nearly as good as he had been. - she sounds somewhat obnoxious and arrogant.

    “I have always been fond of these pictures,” Lord Heronwood said. “But my father told me it was a girlish taste on my part and I should appreciate pictures of hunting or shooting as I was a boy.” - hunting and shooting i.e. the killing of innocents is preferred. No wonder the British Empire enslaved so many nations...

    "...this gentleman is the son of Lord Summerfield, who is the Lord Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire.” - enter a love interest for Elizabeth

    "As she bent forward to pat its neck, she said" not 'IT'. Him or her. Animals are sentient.

    "Both then chose beautiful wedding rings from the collection which shone so brilliantly that they were almost afraid to wear them." - doubtful the ring worn by Elizabeth will be kept as these items were typically entailed to the estate.

    She always had something original and unexpected to say and, as she was using her Third Eye, she knew that they would always be able to think the same. - lol, Cartland is fanciful in adding mysticism to her novelettes but completely ignorant at the same time.

  • Lady Arachniashared an impression6 years ago
    🙈Lost On Me
    🔮Hidden Depths
    💞Loved Up

  • Atina Matthewsshared an impression7 years ago
    🎯Worthwhile

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