The Pink Collection Series by Barbara Cartland

When you are the sole heir of an English Lord who has made his fortune after striking oil in Texas, it is hard to know if the young men hotly pursuing you are in love with your beauty or your money. Declaring herself to be only interested in marrying a man who loves her for herself, Henrietta Radford is forced to flee Texas and return to England to escape the grasping hands of penniless fortune hunter, Prince Vasily... moreWhen you are the sole heir of an English Lord who has made his fortune after striking oil in Texas, it is hard to know if the young men hotly pursuing you are in love with your beauty or your money. Declaring herself to be only interested in marrying a man who loves her for herself, Henrietta Radford is forced to flee Texas and return to England to escape the grasping hands of penniless fortune hunter, Prince Vasily. Beautiful, intelligent and brave, Henrietta chaperoned by her aging nanny, boards The Boston Queen bound for Liverpool under the assumed name of Harrietta Reed. Reveling in the freedom afforded by shrugging off the mantel of heiress, Henrietta quickly forms friendships with the unlikeliest of characters - and just as swiftly makes an enemy, in the shape of Lady Butterclere, a powerful society hostess intent on bettering herself and her prot g Miss Romany Foss. Entering into a pact with a talented but ruthless musician who will stop at nothing, including blackmail, to achieve his ambition to play for the Prince of Wales, Henrietta soon realises that she stands to lose her reputation and position in polite society forever if she is unmasked. Gazing towards the shores of England, Henrietta is overcome with the feeling that she is sailing towards her destiny and true love, shaped by a handsome stranger that haunts her dreams. But it is a destiny more fraught with danger than she could ever imagine, and Henrietta soon finds that her loyalties are tested to the limits as she struggles to keep her identity secret and her honour intact. Stalked by a dark figure from the past, her chances of future happiness threatened, Henrietta is faced with a choice that could cost her, and those she loves, dearly. If you like Downton Abbey you will love Barbara Cartland less

Beautiful Aurora Hartnell is returning home to Hadleigh Hall for Christmas. Looking forward to seeing her elderly father Lord Hartnell again, she ruefully acknowledges that life in the country is likely to seem rather dull after the elegance of her Finishing School in fashionable Paris. Resigned to a quieter pace of life, she is therefore filled with anticipation when she hears that an eligible bachelor, Lord Moreton, has moved into nearby Elton Hall... moreBeautiful Aurora Hartnell is returning home to Hadleigh Hall for Christmas. Looking forward to seeing her elderly father Lord Hartnell again, she ruefully acknowledges that life in the country is likely to seem rather dull after the elegance of her Finishing School in fashionable Paris. Resigned to a quieter pace of life, she is therefore filled with anticipation when she hears that an eligible bachelor, Lord Moreton, has moved into nearby Elton Hall. Dreaming of an attractive stranger who will sweep her off her feet, Aurora is delighted when her father invites the mysterious Lord for dinner on Christmas Eve. Swept up in a frenzy of excitement, and determined to look her absolute best, Aurora is so caught up in romantic dreams she hardly notices that her intimidating stepmother, Lady Harntell, is behaving oddly. Hypercritical and quickly irritated, it seems that the only time Lady Hartnell smiles is when planning the impending dinner, which she insists must be perfect for his Lordship. But Aurora's dreams are crushed like a daisy underfoot when she finally meets the man she has pinned all her hopes upon. A favourite of her father and stepmother's, Aurora knows instantly that Lord Moreton is not a man she can respect or give her heart to. Then the dashing Earl of Linford gallops into Aurora's life. Tall, handsome and with a twinkle in his dark eyes, she immediately knows that she must put a stop to any notions of a match between herself and Lord Moreton if she is ever to find happiness. But how can she extricate herself from Lord Moreton's increasingly cloying attentions, without disappointing her beloved father? And just why is her stepmother so keen that they marry immediately? As the pressure to accept this unwanted proposal increases, Aurora is caught in an unhappy trap that she struggles to see a way out of. less

Sheldon Kinswood was at White’s Club with his friends when a Steward asks them if they know of a really good valet, as the Duke of Dartmoor is desperately looking for one. It is then that Sheldon tells his friends that the Duke is his uncle and he is living the life of a recluse in the country. The reason being that nine years ago the Duke’s fiancée had left him the day before their Wedding and ran off with her riding master... moreSheldon Kinswood was at White’s Club with his friends when a Steward asks them if they know of a really good valet, as the Duke of Dartmoor is desperately looking for one. It is then that Sheldon tells his friends that the Duke is his uncle and he is living the life of a recluse in the country. The reason being that nine years ago the Duke’s fiancée had left him the day before their Wedding and ran off with her riding master. This had affected the Duke so badly that since then he has categorically refused to allow a woman to come into his house nor onto his estate. Or indeed anywhere near him. Worse still, he has not allowed his family any of the money that they were entitled to as he did not want any of his money to go to females. Sheldon’s friends suggest that, as the Duke would not recognise him, he applies for the position of valet at Dartmoor Hall to find out exactly what the Duke is doing with his money. They then take bets as to whether Sheldon will get the job and if he does whether he will be able to change the Duke in any way. Shortly after his arrival at Dartmoor Hall the Duke is shot by a burglar in his shoulder and is seriously ill. Sheldon then asks his cousin, Lady Kenton, to urgently send a nurse, who, of course, must be male, to care for the ailing Duke. How the male nurse, when he arrives, looks rather strange to the Duke’s staff, but seems competent. How the Duke himself recovers almost miraculously and unexpectedly appears to have changed. And how Sheldon finds love at the magic pool in the wood is all told in this unusual and exciting story by BARBARA CARTLAND. less

The Earl of Rockhaven calls on his friend the Vicar, the Reverend Simon Wolverham, to ask if his beautiful daughter, Lucinda, will pretend to be his own daughter, Muriel, who is away in Scotland staying with her aunt. Fortunately the girls have similar looks and Lucinda could easily be taken for Muriel... moreThe Earl of Rockhaven calls on his friend the Vicar, the Reverend Simon Wolverham, to ask if his beautiful daughter, Lucinda, will pretend to be his own daughter, Muriel, who is away in Scotland staying with her aunt. Fortunately the girls have similar looks and Lucinda could easily be taken for Muriel. The Earl explains to the Vicar that a certain Baron Schlesinger and his son, Kurt, from Germany have invited themselves to luncheon at his nearby ancestral home and are insistent that his daughter is present for the occasion. They want the Earl’s help in planning a ball in London and another one in Berlin for the Baron’s daughter at which the German Kaiser will be present. However, the Earl is sure that what they really want is information about a unique gun which his son, Ivan, has invented and wishes to keep top secret at all costs, particularly from the Germans. Lucinda has known Ivan since she was a child and she shares his love of horses and riding as well as the lovely countryside. She is deeply suspicious of the Germans’ motives in planning these balls as she feels that it is just a pretext for finding out what they can about Ivan’s gun as it could be of considerable use for Germany’s growing Army and Navy, which at some stage might be a menace to England. How Lucinda helps the Earl and Ivan entertain the Germans and help them with the two balls. How she finds the Baron’s son, Kurt, very frightening and unpleasant. And how, when they reach Berlin, Lucinda finds intrigue and love, is all told in this exciting and romantic novel by BARBARA CARTLAND. less