Danger in the Desert

The Earl of Hillingwood calls his great friend, Lord Waverstone, to an urgent meeting with him at White? s Club in St. James? s for a seriousdiscussion. The Earl is determined that his only son, Royden, ismarried to his friend? s daughter, Malva, as he feels that it is time Royden produced an heir to Hillingwood Towers and all its fabuloustreasures and carry on as well his ancient and illustriouslineage. The beautiful fair-haired Malva and Royden do not wish tomarry and anyway they are definitely not in love with each other. They are both seeking an ideal love that will sweep them off their feetand they will be gloriously happy for ever. To circumvent theirfathers? ambitions for them they devise an ingenious plan to pretendto their fathers that they are indeed married, but they want it keptsecret until they return from their honeymoon because Queen Victoriawould not approve of anyone marrying while they are still in mourningas Malva is for her mother. When they do return from theirhoneymoon, they will then say that they have found that they aretotally unsuited to each other and will divorce immediately. Because both fathers would be horrified at the Social shame and scandal ofthe mere idea of a divorce, they will be delighted and relieved to beinformed that no wedding has actually taken place. And then they willtake the pressure off them and leave them alone. Malva and Roydenset off for their pretend honeymoon in his new yacht for West Africatelling the Captain that they are brother and sister. It is whenthey anchor in a quiet bay off the African coast and decide to visitthe Palace of the local Vizier that their adventure reallybegins. How Malva, because of her beautiful golden hair iskidnapped by the Sultan for his harem and how she is daringly rescuedby Royden. And how love comes to them both in a most unexpected way is all told in this exciting tale by BARBARA CARTLAND.