What do you think?
Rate this book
Alone and Afraid
Ever popular with the grasping and greedy beauties of the Social world, the handsome Marquis of Elkesley is becoming disillusioned with their constant requests for expensive gifts and so he travels to Paris to forget them. There he receives a pleading letter from his close friend, Celeste, one of Paris’s most notorious demi-mondaines. She has taken under her wing a frightened but beautiful young waif called Kitrina and, Celeste’s sinful lifestyle rendering her unsuitable as a Guardian, she asks the Marquis to make her his Ward. Faced with the fact that Kitrina is the illegitimate child of a distant, dead and disgraced relative of his, he has no choice but reluctantly to agree to Celeste’s request. To his amazement he is soon captivated by Kitrina’s unsullied innocence and charm, but just as he loses his heart, he also loses the young beauty who has stolen it when she is kidnapped by an evil Arab Sheikh bent on forcing her into marriage and join his harem in North Africa. She is desperately alone and afraid as she has never been before in her life and she prays fervently that God will send the man she loves to rescue her from a fate worse than death.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2014
1 person is currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,063 books847 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 1, 2023
The Hero a Marquis, has fled to Paris in disillusionment, from his avaricious mistress.
While there, he is contacted by a former mistress…😳 about a young girl staying with her who is related to him. The Marquis finds out that the young lady in question is the illegitimate child of a cousin who ran away with a married lady, causing a huge scandal at the time. Both parents are now dead and the girl is alone.
The Hero has no idea what to do with the girl, but since she is so thrilled and enthusiastic about meeting her relative, who is the titular head of the family, he doesn’t have the heart to discourage her.
The author has a note at the beginning of the book explaining that the treatment of illegitimate children in that time period of history, was quite appalling. They really were shunned by aristocratic families, but at every level of society. Its quite sad. The Hero realizes that the heroine has no idea that she is in this situation. She enthusiastically assumes he is going to bring her back with him to England and introduce her to the rest of the family.
The Hero, still unable to disillusion her, takes her around Paris and introduces her as his ward. But all is not so simple, apparently there is an Arab Sheikh who is obsessed with her. He first meets her in the house where her mother was staying and declares that he will make her his chief wife. The heroine manages to escape him this time by telling him she needs time, then she flees to Paris.
Another time, when she was already staying w the Hero as his ward, the Sheikh finds out where she is, enters the house while the Hero is out, and attempts to take her with him. Thankfully the Hero arrives in time to stop him.
Then, as the Marquis and the heroine are driving in the Bois, the henchmen of the Sheikh create a diversion for the Hero and they are able to kidnap the heroine. They spirit her away using a coffin (hence the cover of the book). The Hero chases them all the way to Algiers to rescue the heroine.
He is of course able to rescue her, but then there is a battle where finally the villain, the sheikh, is killed, thus eliminating the final threat to the heroine.
By this time, the Hero is in love with the heroine and decides to marry her anyway despite her illegitimate status. He hopes, eventually the family will be able to accept her.
In Algiers, they go back to the house of the heroine’s late mother. She had fled hastily the first time, while trying to escape the Sheikh. The Hero tells her to bring whatever possessions she still wants before they sell the house.
While there, the heroine comes across a scrapbook her parents kept and she is eager to show the Hero a photograph of her mother and some baby sketches of herself. While looking at it, the Hero sees a marriage certificate between her parents and a notice of death of the mother’s first husband!!!
The heroine was never illegitimate!!! The Hero is beyond happy because now no one will sneer at his wife and the family will accept her.
While there, he is contacted by a former mistress…😳 about a young girl staying with her who is related to him. The Marquis finds out that the young lady in question is the illegitimate child of a cousin who ran away with a married lady, causing a huge scandal at the time. Both parents are now dead and the girl is alone.
The Hero has no idea what to do with the girl, but since she is so thrilled and enthusiastic about meeting her relative, who is the titular head of the family, he doesn’t have the heart to discourage her.
The author has a note at the beginning of the book explaining that the treatment of illegitimate children in that time period of history, was quite appalling. They really were shunned by aristocratic families, but at every level of society. Its quite sad. The Hero realizes that the heroine has no idea that she is in this situation. She enthusiastically assumes he is going to bring her back with him to England and introduce her to the rest of the family.
The Hero, still unable to disillusion her, takes her around Paris and introduces her as his ward. But all is not so simple, apparently there is an Arab Sheikh who is obsessed with her. He first meets her in the house where her mother was staying and declares that he will make her his chief wife. The heroine manages to escape him this time by telling him she needs time, then she flees to Paris.
Another time, when she was already staying w the Hero as his ward, the Sheikh finds out where she is, enters the house while the Hero is out, and attempts to take her with him. Thankfully the Hero arrives in time to stop him.
Then, as the Marquis and the heroine are driving in the Bois, the henchmen of the Sheikh create a diversion for the Hero and they are able to kidnap the heroine. They spirit her away using a coffin (hence the cover of the book). The Hero chases them all the way to Algiers to rescue the heroine.
He is of course able to rescue her, but then there is a battle where finally the villain, the sheikh, is killed, thus eliminating the final threat to the heroine.
By this time, the Hero is in love with the heroine and decides to marry her anyway despite her illegitimate status. He hopes, eventually the family will be able to accept her.
In Algiers, they go back to the house of the heroine’s late mother. She had fled hastily the first time, while trying to escape the Sheikh. The Hero tells her to bring whatever possessions she still wants before they sell the house.
While there, the heroine comes across a scrapbook her parents kept and she is eager to show the Hero a photograph of her mother and some baby sketches of herself. While looking at it, the Hero sees a marriage certificate between her parents and a notice of death of the mother’s first husband!!!
The heroine was never illegitimate!!! The Hero is beyond happy because now no one will sneer at his wife and the family will accept her.
December 29, 2024
A super weak 3 stars. The stilted speaking patterns for the young heroines that Babs loves so much are in play here. There is an unstated age difference happening (maybe 20 years? Unsure but icky). Add in a harem and kidnapping, and you've got yourself some classic Cartland. It was short, so 2.5 stars that I will generously round up to 3. Only recommend if you like formulaic old school Barbara Cartland.
May 8, 2023
In the exclusive worlds of Paris and London, exquisite Kitrina had little more than the angelic beauty born of her parents scandalous love. Then the handsome, bold worldly wise Marquis of Elkesley knew all too clearly the shining young woman's future: she'd become the child-bride of the fierce, ruthless desert sheikh who imagination she had captivated...
September 12, 2015
Full of intrigue and happy endings. Barbara st her best.
As always, Barbara Cartland is spot on to deliver an action packed story, with twists and unexpected turns. Of course the woman gets the man in the end. That's expected. But the best thing I like about her books is how educationally interesting they are. As well as no hanky panky before marriage. Pure delightful imagination.
As always, Barbara Cartland is spot on to deliver an action packed story, with twists and unexpected turns. Of course the woman gets the man in the end. That's expected. But the best thing I like about her books is how educationally interesting they are. As well as no hanky panky before marriage. Pure delightful imagination.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews