Emily

by Norma Lee Clark

Forced to marry a man she couldn't love, there was only one thing to do. Run.Because her father and brothers were mired in gambling debts, Emily Ventrable had no choice but to marry that horrid old man, Lord Keynes, whose money could solve the family's problems. But soon she realized she could not bear his touch.With the help of a kind servant, Emily escaped and fled to London. She obtained a position as a parlor maid in the home of Lady Fordyce, and was thankful to be free at last. But it wasn't long before she was spotted as "quality." And spotted as beautiful by Lady Fordyce's brother, Lord Beaumont. Suddenly, Emily was caught up in encounters and adventures that were to change the course of her life....

Genres: Romance, Historical

Mass Market Paperback

First published July 12, 1979

About the author

Pseudonym: Megan O'Connor

Born in Jefferson City, Missouri, Clark began her career in show business with the Pittsburgh Children’s Theater and later acted at the Rochester Arena Theater. In the late 1940s, she moved to New York to take the female lead in the Buck Rogers TV series, “Captain Video and His Video Ranger,” which ran 1949 to 1955.

Her marriage to lighting designer David Clark ended in divorce.

She is survived by husband, Dimitri Vassilopoulos, her two daughters, Megan Clark and Emily Carvajal, and two grandchildren.

Reviews

[Andi · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are Norma Lee Clark novels that I have really enjoyed; this is not one of them. The book is well-written, as usual, but the h was so cloyingly sweet/innocent (right through to the end), it turned me off. I also intensely disliked the persistent ‘she’s so beautiful, she must be quality’ trope. Taken with the implausible storyline, a H with slightly stalker-ish tendencies, and an anachronistic attempt to psychoanalyze why the h’s father behaved as he did, overall this was a dud.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note to self: stop buying Norma Lee Clark books on AMZ: they are not turning out to be re-reads. Which is a shame. This is probably more 2 1/2 stars. A likeable heroine, a runaway bride, some graphic details and a setting which shows the terror London can hold if you're on the lam and have little money. Unfortunately, an ending which veers into 20th century "understanding" of her horrible father and older brother, tear drenched violet eyes yadda yadda, left me thinking that there's something a little off in Clark's Regencies.