Lord Milton should have been a happy man, with an ancient title and a magificent estate.
But he was deep in debt and haunted by memories of the Crimea, where he had once been a soldier and taken part of the Charge of the Light Brigade.
To take his mind off the past, he eagerly accepted the suggestion of a friend to become the manager of a hotel in Brighton, called the Paradise Hotel. He was seeking new discoveries, but he could not have guessed how startling his discoveries were going to be.
First he decided to abandon his title and pass simply as John Milton.
Then there was the mysterious young lady, who arrived suddenly and begged him to hide her from a man who was hunting her.
Finally there was the aggressive Sir Stewart Paxton who was seeking her, full of fury and threats.
To Cecilia the Paradise Hotel was a paradise indeed once she had met John Milton. She had no idea where the rocky road was taking her. She only knew that she must escape her evil guardian, Sir Stewart, who was ruthlessly intent on marrying her for her fortune. And John was the only man who could help her.
Lord Milton came to understand how wonderfully attractive she was, how gentle and sympathetic to the nightmares that still troubled him. He would give his life to protect her and make her his own.
But then he made a terrible discovery about her, and it seemed as if a life together was impossible.
What happened when Sir Stewart pursued them, and how Cecilia found a man who loved her for herself instead of for her money, is all told in this romantic and unusual story by Barbara Cartland.
If you like Downton Abbey you will love Barbara Cartland
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.
