They Ran Away

 Colonel Storton has set his mind on his beautiful daughter, Alvina, marrying a man with money and a grand title. When Lord Hillborough became their next door neighbour in the country, the Colonel considered him to be an excellent husband for Alvina, but she found him repulsive and could not bear even to be touched by him. She therefore decided to leave her home and run away to avoid having to marry a man she did not love and could never love. When she saw a large and impressive yacht at a nearby Port, she went aboard and hid as a stowaway. She hoped that the yacht was going to France where she had a friend from school who she could stay with. When the owner of the yacht, the Earl of Penwood, came aboard, he found her in his Master cabin, but instead of being angry and throwing her off at the next stop, he told her that he also was being forced to marry someone and perhaps they could both assist each other. Alvina helped the Earl in solving his problem by successfully pretending to be his wife and he was delighted. It was while they were anchored at the quay in the Port of Gibraltar that Alvina mysteriously disappeared. How she found herself in Morocco on the other side of the Mediterranean. How the Sultan was attracted by her fair hair and blue eyes and sent men to kidnap her and then she was in his Palace where he intended to marry her and join his many other wives. And how she was saved and found the love that she had been seeking is all told in this exciting and romantic novel by BARBARA CARTLAND.