The Parfit Knight

Regency England is the setting for this first novel that conventionally advances the course of true love. The Marquis de Amberley, notorious for rakish adventures and prowess at the gaming tables, is the inadvertent cause of Rosalind's tragedy. As a child she was run down by Amberley's recklessly driven carriage and, blinded as a result, lives in sheltered seclusion in the country. Through the gambling escapades of her doltish brother, Rosalind is brought into Amberley's circle; their mutual attraction flowers, and Amberley provides opportunities for Rosalind to become a belle in London despite her handicap. A duel, a discovery, reformation and reconciliation are the order for the smitten marquis before the final pages mark the union of a principled rake and a spunky heroine. (January 2)