The Tree of Love

Devastated by the treachery of the woman he loves, the Marquis of Kenworth leaves London and the Prince Regent's intimate circle of pleasure loving friends, to join the Duke of Wellington's army as plain Captain Ivan Worth.
Facing hardship and the grim reality of battle he is convinced that no woman can ever be trusted to love him for himself, rather than his title, and turns his back on romance forever. Now, wounded by a shell from a French gun, he is in Paris, an invalid guest of his close friend the Duke, waiting for his wound to heal and nursing his broken heart.
Into this house of despair comes Shenda, the beautiful daughter of Lord Linbury, who is orphaned after the death of her esteemed, but poverty stricken father. Alone in the world, she has travelled to Paris to fulfill her father's last wish that she seek the protection of his old friend, the Duke of Wellington.
Still celebrating his victory at the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke quickly realises that his new ward is young and innocent, as well as beautiful. Knowing that his reputation with women precludes Shenda from staying in his own house, he sets her the task of nursing Captain Worth.
Despite her patient's rages and his obvious disgust for women, Shenda enthusiastically sets to work, using her mother's traditional herbal remedies in place of the synthetic medicines prescribed by the French doctors.
But are Shenda's powers of healing enough to make the cantankerous Captain change his mind and allow her to stay? Or will he cast her out onto the dirty, rough streets of Paris? As she plays her music for him, putting her heart and soul into every piece, can she soothe his troubled mind as well as heal the bullet hole in his shoulder? Or will she be cast out onto the streets of Paris to fend for herself ?

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.