Publisher's Weekly
``The first lady of historial romance,'' Barbara Cartland is the author of more than 360 books in a variety of genres. This novel, first in a series, follows her tried-and-true formula of virginal heroine conquering a swashbuckling ladykiller. Because he has offended Queen Victoria with his indiscreet affairs of the heart and constant dueling, the handsome Marquis of Weybourne is ordered to be the royal representative at the arranged marriage of the Queen's goddaughter, Clotilda, to the elderly ruler of Balutik, a disorderly country in the brigand-infested Balkans. While escorting Clotilda to her fiance, the Marquis finds himself falling in love with her and, when the pair is beset by brigands, he is not averse to a marriage ceremony that will protect her from the lustful advances of bandits. The marriage is also a convenience when, after the Balkan prince has been disposed of, Clotilda admits that she returns the Marquis's love. Period details supply flavor for the standard Cartland bonbon.