MARGARET SUMMERVILLE

|| The Crimson Lady || Double Masquerade ||

Last review(s) added 8/2/97

The Crimson Lady
by Margaret Summerville

Rated 3.0
Copyright 1995
Reviewed 7/21/97 by Isolde Wehr

John Edmund Montford, Viscount Allingham, is in debt. Because this is normal in the British High Society he doesn't think much about it. Mr. Grey, a simple but rich businessman volunteers to pay his debt. With one condition: he has to make it possible for his family to be accept by the British High Society. He is just a simple businessman, is not in noble standing and nobody wants to invite them.

Viscount Allingham accepts Mr. Greys suggestion and he gets to know Mrs. Grey, the son Albert, and the beautiful and intelligent daughter, Philippa, called Pippa.

From the first moment Viscount Allingham is impressed by Pippa because she does not "worship" him. She tells him exactly what she thinks and she lives her life by her own rules.

Pippa becomes very famous in the high society and she will be called "The Crimson Lady" because she wears only crimson colored dresses.

Viscount Allingham does not show how much he likes Pippa. For this reason both have to fight through misunderstandings and enemies which want to separate them until they can finally come together.

Rated 3.5
Copyright 1995
Reviewed 6/4/97 by Isolde Wehr

The Marquess of Trenhaven knows he doesn't want to marry the woman which his mother has selected for him. So he flees to his old friend Sir Charles Mainwaring in Somerset. There he asks his friend to keep the secret that he is a Marquess. In Somerset he is only Mr. Macauly.

Serena and Lucy know that Arabella Lindsey isn't the right woman for their father. Mrs. Lindsey is a widow and looking for a new RICH husband. Because Lucy is Charles Mainwarings fiance, they hear from Charles that Mr. Macauly is an old friend of his, but he has no money and he is a drinker and a gambler.

On the other hand, Serena thinks it is a good idea to say "Mr. Macauly" is rich. Then Mrs. Lindsey would concentrate her efforts on him and away from her father. She ask Mr. Macauly for help and he accepts.

What a situation! Serena's father is insulted because Mr. Macauly flirts with Mrs. Lindsey. Charles Mainwaring is confused about everything. He can't tell Lucy the truth. Mr. Macauly starts to fall in love with Serena, but can't tell her he loves her because she thinks he is not acceptable as a husband. Mrs. Lindsey finds out who Mr. Macauly really is and wants to marry him.

Does Mr. Macauly win Serena's love although he is a "poor" person?