198. A Princess in Distress

Relaxing in the Bohemian spa of Marienbad after a secret mission on behalf of Kind Edward VII, Ian, Lord Arkely is appalled to overhear the sound of a woman being horribly ill-treated by a man in the adjacent hotel room - that of Prince Friederich of Wilzenstein and Her Royal Highness Princess Mariska. Peering out across the shared balcony he spies the young, slim, utterly beautiful young Princess, clearly in pain. Lord Arkley is aware that the Prince has been wheelchair bound since being terribly insured in an anarchist bomb attack in which Princess has escaped injury. Clearly the paralysed Prince is taking out his resentment on the poor Princess, Lord Arkley thinks as he resolves to get to know this Princess in distress. 'It is not so much that I am interested,' he tells himself, 'but extremely sorry for anyone so young and so attractive to be tied to such a brute, whatever excuses he may have for his behaviour.' Nevertheless, he is startled to receive a letter from the Princess inviting him to dinner. And so begins a web of intrigue and terrible danger - and in the shadow of the Princess's oppression and the threat of war, the light of love flickers into life.

Auteur
Barbara Cartland was the world's most prolific novelist who wrote an amazing 723 books in her lifetime, of which no less than 644 were romantic novels with worldwide sales of over 1 billion copies and her books were translated into 36 different languages.As well as romantic novels, she wrote historical biographies, 6 autobiographies, theatrical plays and books of advice on life, love, vitamins and cookery.She wrote her first book at the age of 21 and it was called Jigsaw. It became an immediate bestseller and sold 100,000 copies in hardback in England and all over Europe in translation.Between the ages of 77 and 97 she increased her output and wrote an incredible 400 romances as the demand for her romances was so strong all over the world.She wrote her last book at the age of 97 and it was entitled perhaps prophetically The Way to Heaven.Her books have always been immensely popular in the United States where in 1976 her current books were at numbers 1 & 2 in the B. Dalton bestsellers list, a feat never achieved before or since by any author.Barbara Cartland became a legend in her own lifetime and will be best remembered for her wonderful romantic novels so loved by her millions of readers throughout the world, who have always collected her books to read again and again, especially when they feel miserable or depressed.Her books will always be treasured for their moral message, her pure and innocent heroines, her handsome and dashing heroes, her blissful happy endings and above all for her belief that the power of love is more important than anything else in everyone's life.