[ATDrake]

Several of well-known classic romance author Barbara Cartland's vintage backlist titles, now e-printed as part of the "Pink Collection", are available free at Kobo (and 1 thus far also at Amazon), courtesy of BarbaraCartland.com. May show up elsewhere, since this seems intended to be a multi-store promotion.

The Marquis is Trapped #68 @ Kobo (available to Canadians), Amazon (available to Canadians).

The Marquis of Kexley seems to have everything a girl could want – wealth, good looks, intelligence, athletic prowess – and a title. The only thing he doesn’t possess is respect for the legion of women who throw themselves at him, desperate to claim some of his attention. He firmly believes that the woman that could love him forever, and whom he could love in return simply does not exist.

Plagued by debutantes with ambitious mothers who have their eyes firmly set on all that he has to offer, the Marquis becomes renowned for his relationships with bored society wives. But this time is seems that he has sorely misjudged the situation and he is horrified when glamorous widow, Isobel Heywood his current affaires-de-coeur, softly suggests that they should be married.

With marriage the last thing on his mind, and cursing himself for getting involved with a woman free to marry, he evades her question by pretending to sleep whilst plotting to escape as quickly as possible.

With his prized yacht at his disposal the Marquis beats a hasty retreat from London and makes for Scotland to stay with the Earl of Darendell, and enjoy the salmon fishing on the Earl’s large country estate. But it seems that the Marquis cannot escape his past no matter how far he runs. Within hours of arriving a surprise member of the household threatens to ruin him, and the daughter of the house, Celina, with her ruthless plotting.

Once more on the run, and offering the beautiful Celina his protection, the Marquis seeks sanctuary in the tranquility of the Orkney Islands. With danger at every turn, together, they set out an adventure that neither will ever forget.

Hide and Seek for Love #69 @ Kobo

Intrigue and imminent danger await the young men brave enough to join The Great Game, the political conflict between the British and Russian Empire, and Captain David Ingle is one the bravest as he saves a Fort in India from attack, disguised as a Muslim Holy Man.Returning to Calcutta, David is congratulated by the Viceroy for service to his country, but warned that the Russian agents he thwarted now threaten his life. More importantly his grandfather, the Marquis of Inglestone, has died in an accident and the family title and estate is his.

Excited at returning to England to see Ingle Hall and the lovely grounds he remembers from boyhood, he is horrified to discover that his eccentric grandfather had become a miser and allowed the estate to fall into disrepair, refusing to spend a penny on it. Even more oddly, he had withdrawn the large family fortune, in coinage, from the bank and hidden it.

David finds Ingle Hall dilapidated and without any servants. The only ray of light is discovering the presence of a distant cousin, Bernina Falcon, and her nanny.Bernina is beautiful, young and very innocent, and they grow closer daily as they hunt together for the hidden treasure. Just as they are exhausting their search, a girl from Davids past in India arrives, Stella Ashworth. She is stunning, sophisticated and very interested in David - now she knows he is the Marquis.

Determined to get her man, Stella will stop at nothing to get a ring on her finger. With threats from the Russians, pressure from Stella and the constant fear of poverty and letting down the village that rely on him, David is beset on all sides. The only person that offers him constant support and encouragement is Benina, but will that be enough to save Ingle House and all that live and work there?

Hiding from Love #70 @ Kobo

Lively Leonora Cressy and her school friend, Isobel, have sworn never to fall in love. They prefer learning and books to men and scorn other girls whose heads are full of storybook romance. But Leonora is suddenly plucked from the safety of her all girls school and thrown into an adventure that forces her to reconsider her childhood vows.

Returning home to meet the new stepfather who has taken her beloved fathers role as protector and provider, Leonora has two fateful encounters one with an arrogant gentleman in a carriage, and one with a suave but appealing foreigner, Señor de Guarda. Excited and angered in equal parts, Leonora is shocked to discover that her sweet Mama has married a man that she cannot admire. Horrified when he announces that he has arranged her marriage to a wealthy but unknown man, Lord Merton, she swaps the comfort of home for a passage on a cargo ship headed for Brazil, and her friend Isobel.

As the long voyage begins, Leonora congratulates herself on successfully evading Lord Merton and a loveless marriage. But upon meeting mysterious, but seemingly protective Mr Chandos, and faced with the passionate attentions of Señor de Guarda she is confused. Both men hold secrets that could ruin her reputation, but only one stirs her heart and soul. Alone apart from her faithful servant, Finny, and unsure of where to place her trust, Leonora realises that she has done the one thing that she swore never to do fall in love. As Brazil grows ever nearer she has important decisions to make that will change her life, and those close to her, forever.

A Teacher of Love @ Kobo

Lord Salwicke is a very rich but worried man. His beautiful daughter, Tasia, is already twenty years of age, which has dampened his hopes of her taking London by storm. Though not quite an old maid, he fears she may have missed her chance for wedded bliss. So he decides to take matters into his own hands and finds her a suitable husband. But Tasia is not a young lady who likes being told what to do. Headstrong and stubborn she envisages marriage to a man who loves her, not a union of convenience to a man she hasnt met.

Determined to show her father the error of his ways, Tasia masquerades as a tutor and manages to obtain employment as teacher to the Earl of Linsdales two young sons, Peter and Simon. The boys have already frightened off previous learned tutors by their bad behaviour and flat refusal to take part in lessons.

Entering the Earls home, Tasia soon learns that due to an unhappy early marriage, the Earl has set his face against all women, seeing them as untrustworthy and inferior in every way to a man. Believing that she can win the trust of the two boys, and spark an interest in learning before the return of the Earl, she sets to work with the help of her beloved cocker spaniel, Jimbo.

But two dark clouds hang over the schoolroom threatening Tasia and the happiness she finds with her young charges. Firstly the fear of being found by her father and forced home to get married, and secondly worry that the Earl might return home unexpectedly and demand to know why his wishes regarding the education of his sons have been ignored. A loving but strict father, the Earl has his own ideas about the way two young men should be educated and they could not be further away from the new regime that Tasia has installed since her arrival.

Will Tasia be able to hide out until she has proved a point to her father? Will her success as a tutor challenge the Earls opinions of women? As the clouds loom ever closer Tasia faces the biggest decisions of her life - to conform or stand up for her beliefs and hold out for true love.