ROYAL PUNISHMENT

by Barbara Cartland ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1987

Cartland's 400-and-somethingth romance, wherein a penniless but impeccably bred Britannic beauty is betrothed to the sadomasochistic, German-born despot of a Slavic state, and must be rescued by a noble English peer--who not only ""dethrones,"" as it were, the German scourge, but protects our heroine from anarchists, brigands, Turks, and other assorted heathens. Lady Clotilda Tevington-Hyde, impoverished goddaughter to Queen Victoria, is made a brilliant match, courtesy of the Queen: Clotilda will be married to Prince Frederick of Balutik, ""a Balkan country to the south of Serbia."" Sent to escort Clotilda to Balutik via battleship is the rakish, raffish, handsome Marquis of Weybourne, who quickly falls in love with the multilingual (German, Albanian and Serbian are among her many tongues), innocent and unassuming Clotilda, but he can't have her till brigands steal her and threaten rape, sale into white slavery, and every other imaginable fiendish thing. To save her, Weybourne marries her, deflowers her gently (""He gave her not only the sun, but the moon, the stars, and the flowers that filled the garden. . ."") and notes, when the Prince is killed by an anarchist bomb, ""He could hardly believe that everything had turned out so well or so smoothly for both of them."" For her part, Clotilda stammers her love: ""You mean. . . everything! Everything! You. . .fill my whole world and. . .without you I do not. . .want to. . . live!"" Possesssing the usual brand of Cartland charm. For fans only.

Pub Date: June 15, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Severn House--dist. by Kampmann (9 East 40 St., New York, NY 10016)

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1987

Categories: FICTION