Lost Laughter

Renowned for his lavish lifestyle and a roving eye, the handsome Valient, Viscount Ockley, is completely bowled over by the stunning heiress Niobe Barrington.
But it is not just for her dazzling beauty that he pursues her with such ardour for, although he lives like a King, it is all on credit.
In reality he is all but bankrupt and is facing the horror and squalor of the Fleet Prison for debtors and only by marrying into money can he hope to save himself and restore his ruined house to its former glory.
But Niobe's father, Sir Aylmer Barrington, will not hear of it and so arranges for Niobe to marry the 'old and horrid' Marquis of Porthcawl!
When Niobe breaks this unwelcome news to him, the Viscount storms from her house in a rage and threatens to marry the first woman he meets rather than let anyone know that Niobe has totally humiliated him.
As he drives away in his phaeton, he meets the woman he will soon marry – an eighteen year old beauty who has stowed away under a blanket at his feet.
It is Niobe's cousin, Jemima Barrington, who is fleeing the abuse and beatings she constantly suffers at Sir Aylmer's hands.
And so in a sudden marriage of convenience the 'wrong' Miss Barrington becomes the new Viscountess Ockley causing outrage and consternation amongst all but Jemima, who is already deeply in love with the Viscount.
The question of the moment is will the Viscount ever overcome his love for her cousin?

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.