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Salapärane teenija
Olles auru välja lasknud, tundis krahv, et tema viha hakkab tasapisi hajuma. Tema tähelepanu köitis mingi arglik liigutus suure magamistoa teises otsas ja alles nüüd taipas ta, et seal puhastab keegi teenijaist kaminat. Krahv nägi teda läbi massiivse baldahhiinvoodi nikerdatud jalutsi halvasti. Ta kergitas end patjadelt ja käratas:
«Kes sa oled? Mida sa siin teed? Ma ei märganudki, et toas on keegi.»
Neiu pöördus ja haige märkas, et ta on harukordselt kõhn. Tema nägu laia tanu all paistis ebaloomulikult väiksena.
«Ma... puhastasin kaminavõret... milord.»
Krahvi imestuseks kõlas teenija hääl meloodiliselt ja ta rääkis täiesti laitmatus keeles, mis on omane haritud inimestele. Õrn hääl, habras kehakuju ja liigutuste graatsia eristasid teda täielikult tugevatest, punapäistest ja rämeda häälega teenijatest.
«Kes sa oled? Mida sa siin teed? Ma ei märganudki, et toas on keegi.»
Neiu pöördus ja haige märkas, et ta on harukordselt kõhn. Tema nägu laia tanu all paistis ebaloomulikult väiksena.
«Ma... puhastasin kaminavõret... milord.»
Krahvi imestuseks kõlas teenija hääl meloodiliselt ja ta rääkis täiesti laitmatus keeles, mis on omane haritud inimestele. Õrn hääl, habras kehakuju ja liigutuste graatsia eristasid teda täielikult tugevatest, punapäistest ja rämeda häälega teenijatest.
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
23 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,083 books835 followersBorn in 1901, Barbara Cartland started her writing career in journalism and completed her first book, Jigsaw, when she was just 24. An immediate success, it was the start of her journey to becoming the world’s most famous and most read romantic novelist of all time. Inspiring a whole generation of readers around the globe with her exciting tales of adventure, love and intrigue, she became synonymous with the Romance genre. And she still is to this day, having written over 644 romantic fiction books.
As well as romantic novels, she wrote historical biographies, 6 autobiographies, plays, music, poetry and several advice books on life, love, health and cookery – totalling an incredible 723 books in all, with over 1 billion in sales.
Awarded the DBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 in honour of her literary, political and social contributions, she was President of the Hertfordshire branch of the Royal College of Midwives as well as a Dame of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and Deputy President of the St John Ambulance Brigade.
Always a passionate advocate of woman’s health and beauty, she was dubbed ‘the true Queen of Romance’ by Vogue magazine in her lifetime. Her legend continues today through her wonderfully vivid romantic tales, stories that help you escape from the day to day into the dramatic adventures of strong, beautiful women who battle, often against the odds, eventually to find that love conquers all.
Find out more about the incredible life and works of Dame Barbara Cartland at www.barbaracartland.com
As well as romantic novels, she wrote historical biographies, 6 autobiographies, plays, music, poetry and several advice books on life, love, health and cookery – totalling an incredible 723 books in all, with over 1 billion in sales.
Awarded the DBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 in honour of her literary, political and social contributions, she was President of the Hertfordshire branch of the Royal College of Midwives as well as a Dame of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and Deputy President of the St John Ambulance Brigade.
Always a passionate advocate of woman’s health and beauty, she was dubbed ‘the true Queen of Romance’ by Vogue magazine in her lifetime. Her legend continues today through her wonderfully vivid romantic tales, stories that help you escape from the day to day into the dramatic adventures of strong, beautiful women who battle, often against the odds, eventually to find that love conquers all.
Find out more about the incredible life and works of Dame Barbara Cartland at www.barbaracartland.com
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 13, 2013
Story is nice, and the male lead honorable and nice, though I find the heroine overly stubborn and impractical in her situation. Parts of the book were grating to read due to the heroine's hold on pride over livelihood.
June 15, 2013
Barbara Cartland is truly the best!
March 7, 2014
Light reading, nice to read before sleeping.
August 14, 2016
This book is very dated and I think that is why I fell in love with this. It is sweet, fast and very innocent. Comfortable, predictable and entertaining. What more do you need?
June 2, 2020
Barbara Cartland ne déçoit pas. Valeur sûre du roman niais à l'eau de rose, ce livre ne fait pas exception. Distrayant, niais et avec une fin téléphonée. Pour un livre écrit dans les année 70, j'ai craint le pire, mais ça passait mieux niveau sexisme que certains livres uq ejnai pu lire écrit 20 ans plus tard.
Read
May 30, 2015I can’t even begin to rate this book.
If I were to read this seriously, it’d be a nightmare. In typical Cartland fashion the hero is a self-centered, chauvinistic, misogynistic, arrogant, vain jerk – made worse by the way the author attempts to paint him in a light of utter perfection. Instead, he is perfectly loathsome (ha, I am getting into the spirit of this!) to the extent that with a hero like him we don’t actually need any villains. (I don’t for a second believe he won’t be having affairs once he’s married to the heroine. His views on the subject seem clear enough.)
The heroine, too, conforms to the usual mandates by being childlike and shy, yet courageous, stammering more often than not, and generally perfect in every warped way the author is so fond of. Including pure. Yes, that is the most important part.
As a pairing, well… It’s the usual father/child thing, sadly. I seem to remember that the promiscuous hero always made a point of teaching all sorts of things to the pure heroine. (And I am not even referring to sexual stuff, since usually sex only happens in the final scene among flowery language and ascension to heaven. In this case he teaches her the art of selecting the proper meal for a man, as any woman should be able to do. … I rest my case.)
I think I can blame a lot of my lingering issues with gender roles in fiction on growing up with these books. And it does not matter that I’d never read this particular one before; it fits the formula precisely. A formula that my sister and I already laughed at when we were around thirteen. I just wish it’d have been as easy to laugh away some of the insidious after-effects. Honestly, this is part of why I prefer to read gay romance, and why, when I try to write het romance, my heroines always have problems overcoming their passivity and tendency to be unnecessarily prudish. Blah.
Anyway. I better not go into rants about all the stuff that was ludicrously offensive in this book. As I said, I promised myself to not read it seriously and I didn’t. So what if ugly people are to be pitied but not too much since who gives a damn anyway, or if the hero professes that women can never be the equal of a man, or that he laughs merrily at the way his buddy seduces and impregnates hordes of women casually, or how he thinks it is a great plan to send his innocent protégée off with a would-be rapist in desperate straits so that she can refuse his offer of marriage during an intimate dinner alone with the dude. Nope, not gonna comment on anything. Nor on the fact that our heroine is willing to prostitute herself rather than accept benign charity, but in the end has no issues accepting loads of money she has not earned personally in restitution for her father. Oh well.
I think the worst might be that the hero’s awful opinions and views appear to be shared by the author herself, who doesn’t have the excuse of being the child of another period. (Well, she does, but not that far back.) Those things saturate the shifty narrative and do nothing to make the end result more appealing.
I still had fun, just because this is such a silly, ridiculous walk down memory lane. And I needed something completely undemanding and unfettered by serious issues. Maybe I’ll even read another one. Blissful freedom from thought.
If I were to read this seriously, it’d be a nightmare. In typical Cartland fashion the hero is a self-centered, chauvinistic, misogynistic, arrogant, vain jerk – made worse by the way the author attempts to paint him in a light of utter perfection. Instead, he is perfectly loathsome (ha, I am getting into the spirit of this!) to the extent that with a hero like him we don’t actually need any villains. (I don’t for a second believe he won’t be having affairs once he’s married to the heroine. His views on the subject seem clear enough.)
The heroine, too, conforms to the usual mandates by being childlike and shy, yet courageous, stammering more often than not, and generally perfect in every warped way the author is so fond of. Including pure. Yes, that is the most important part.
As a pairing, well… It’s the usual father/child thing, sadly. I seem to remember that the promiscuous hero always made a point of teaching all sorts of things to the pure heroine. (And I am not even referring to sexual stuff, since usually sex only happens in the final scene among flowery language and ascension to heaven. In this case he teaches her the art of selecting the proper meal for a man, as any woman should be able to do. … I rest my case.)
I think I can blame a lot of my lingering issues with gender roles in fiction on growing up with these books. And it does not matter that I’d never read this particular one before; it fits the formula precisely. A formula that my sister and I already laughed at when we were around thirteen. I just wish it’d have been as easy to laugh away some of the insidious after-effects. Honestly, this is part of why I prefer to read gay romance, and why, when I try to write het romance, my heroines always have problems overcoming their passivity and tendency to be unnecessarily prudish. Blah.
Anyway. I better not go into rants about all the stuff that was ludicrously offensive in this book. As I said, I promised myself to not read it seriously and I didn’t. So what if ugly people are to be pitied but not too much since who gives a damn anyway, or if the hero professes that women can never be the equal of a man, or that he laughs merrily at the way his buddy seduces and impregnates hordes of women casually, or how he thinks it is a great plan to send his innocent protégée off with a would-be rapist in desperate straits so that she can refuse his offer of marriage during an intimate dinner alone with the dude. Nope, not gonna comment on anything. Nor on the fact that our heroine is willing to prostitute herself rather than accept benign charity, but in the end has no issues accepting loads of money she has not earned personally in restitution for her father. Oh well.
I think the worst might be that the hero’s awful opinions and views appear to be shared by the author herself, who doesn’t have the excuse of being the child of another period. (Well, she does, but not that far back.) Those things saturate the shifty narrative and do nothing to make the end result more appealing.
I still had fun, just because this is such a silly, ridiculous walk down memory lane. And I needed something completely undemanding and unfettered by serious issues. Maybe I’ll even read another one. Blissful freedom from thought.
February 26, 2013
This is a clean historical romance that a YA might
enjoy as well as adults.
Grizelda's family fell on hard times just before the
death of her father. She was hired by a former servant
to be a maid in the home of an Earl. When the Earl noticed
her he observed she was very educated and cultured to be a
servant.He concluded she had once been a Lady and wondered
what brought her to this lowly station. He also noticed she
had malnutrition.
The Earl had been badly injured in the war with Napoleon and
was re-cooperating. He hired her as a personal secretary.
Regardless of the Earl's inquiries, Grizelda kept her
secrets. She only wanted to help feed her family and save
for her injured brother's surgery.
This is a story of loyalty, love and devotion. It has mystery,
love and romance.
enjoy as well as adults.
Grizelda's family fell on hard times just before the
death of her father. She was hired by a former servant
to be a maid in the home of an Earl. When the Earl noticed
her he observed she was very educated and cultured to be a
servant.He concluded she had once been a Lady and wondered
what brought her to this lowly station. He also noticed she
had malnutrition.
The Earl had been badly injured in the war with Napoleon and
was re-cooperating. He hired her as a personal secretary.
Regardless of the Earl's inquiries, Grizelda kept her
secrets. She only wanted to help feed her family and save
for her injured brother's surgery.
This is a story of loyalty, love and devotion. It has mystery,
love and romance.
April 16, 2020
I could not help but laugh when Our Heroine finally admits that she's been keeping secrets from the Hero because... because her real name is... and then she blurts out her name and it falls with a flat thud, because Cartland has never mentioned why the name is meaningful in any way, and then has to interrupt this moment of high drama to back up and spend a few pages explaining who Giselda's father was and his history with the hero. *facepalm* Sweet and innocuous enough story, but not the best pacing.
May 23, 2019
Sweet nostalgia ! Reading this book reminded me of the good old uncomplicated days, before internet (yes, I was alive and contrary to all beliefs, quite happy!), Reading Barbara Cartland, always takes you to that time in Regency, with sweet faced heroines, blackguards who turn out not to be such evil ones after all. And strictly PG - 13.
April 2, 2015
Disappointing. But most of Cartland's books are much better.
Want to read
February 15, 2016158pgs, historical, they live in poverty and her brother needs surgery, she is willing to sell her purity,
May 13, 2023
I read all of these when I was in my early teens. I didnt remember all the evil next-of-kin ready to kill to inherit.
Read
July 6, 2016Liked it
May 8, 2019
Uma doçura de história, é apaixonante o modo como o conde e a Giselda se envolvem, como o amor entre os dois se constrói. Esse livro pegou todos os meus pontos fracos, pois adoro romances que abordam ferimento de guerra e o cuidado. Acho que esse livro é o meu favorito da autora pela ternura e pelo desenvolvimento dessa trama.
December 1, 2020
مغامره تاريخيه خفيفه ولطيفه وبنفس الوقت تحمل دروس قيّمه بين طياتها كما عودتنا باربرا كارتلاند بأسلوبها الدافئ المسلي المليء بالقصص الانسانيه وقصص الحب الحقيقي لتعطيك شعور بالإيجابيه بعد الانتهاء من اعمالها
وفي هذه الروايه الحب الممزوج بالغموض كانت مشوقه جداً
تصلح كـوجبه خفيفه و مشوقه بين روايات دسمه و كبيره او لقراءة خفيفه ، لطيفه قبل النوم 158 صفحه ممكن ان تكملها في ساعتين او ساعه ونصف
#هاله
وفي هذه الروايه الحب الممزوج بالغموض كانت مشوقه جداً
تصلح كـوجبه خفيفه و مشوقه بين روايات دسمه و كبيره او لقراءة خفيفه ، لطيفه قبل النوم 158 صفحه ممكن ان تكملها في ساعتين او ساعه ونصف
#هاله
February 21, 2020
Typical Barbara Cartland. Always entertaining in a fluffy way.
November 10, 2020
It was entertaining until it became too old fashioned in its notions of romance...
September 6, 2021
Cute story…easy read.
July 7, 2022
Some character are wholly undeveloped. It was a bit disappointing.
January 23, 2023
The plot of this was interesting but I had to force myself to keep reading in some parts.
July 15, 2023
Very easy read with enough intrigue to keep the pages turning.
May 29, 2020
Giselda had nowhere to turn. Without the money for the operation her young brother might die. Her wealthy employer, the Earl of Lyndhurst,who is recovering from his injuries sustained in the Battle of Waterloo. He might be kind and generous but she could never accept his charity. He must not know the terrible reason for her family's poverty.
Appalled that this frail and innocent young girl should be faced with such a terrible decision, he vows to find a way to help her without offending her dignity. He knows she would never accept his charity, and she refuses to confide in him the reasons for her family's poverty.
Intrigued by the air of mystery about a girl of obvious quality reduced to the role of maidservant, the Earl decides to discover why a beautiful young woman of strong principles has been reduced to such extreme measures.
Discovering her to have gentle hands and wonderful nursing skills he employs her as his private nurse and turns his sharp mind to uncovering her secrets – and learns his own lessons in love in the process.
Appalled that this frail and innocent young girl should be faced with such a terrible decision, he vows to find a way to help her without offending her dignity. He knows she would never accept his charity, and she refuses to confide in him the reasons for her family's poverty.
Intrigued by the air of mystery about a girl of obvious quality reduced to the role of maidservant, the Earl decides to discover why a beautiful young woman of strong principles has been reduced to such extreme measures.
Discovering her to have gentle hands and wonderful nursing skills he employs her as his private nurse and turns his sharp mind to uncovering her secrets – and learns his own lessons in love in the process.
March 10, 2023
Giselda had nowhere to turn. Without the money for the operation her young brother might die. Her wealthy employer, the Earl of Lyndhurst, might be kind and generous but she could never accept his charity. He must not know the terrible reason for her family's poverty. Choking back her pride and knowing that she was about to forfeit the love and respect she so tenderly wished from him, she said in a very low voice: "I have... heard, and I do not think I am mistaken, that there are... g-gentlemen who will pay large sums of money for a girl who is... p-pure. I want... I must have... £50 immediately... and I thought perhaps you could find me... someone to give me... that amount."
May 29, 2017
The author doesn't describe the Earl's feelings towards Giselda well, and too much drama in it.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews