flapsummary+author bio

The Miser’s Sister

Carola Dunn

I.acly Ruth Penderric’s life has not been an easy one. Orphaned and penniless, her only tiope for tranquility, if not happiness, is her forthcoming marriage to the pedan-tic and self-important local curate. Until she marries, she—and the money she has inherited—are under the thumb of her penurious and cruel brother, Godfrey. Smali wonder, then, that Rutli is willing to contemplate life with the duli cleric; it. will enable her to leave the crumbling castle where she lives with Godfrey, their selfish younger sister, Lelty, and a handful of dour and incompetent servants.

Returning one day from an errand in the village, Ruth is set upon by brigands and imprisoned in a cave in the wild Cornish mountains near her home. There she is joined by another of the ruffians’ prisoners, 01iver Pardoe. He is a young Londoner who has travelcd to Cornwall to inspect an imenlion in which his banker father plans to invest—a hot air balloon.

I'he pair are being held for ransom; their captors threaten to kill Lady Ruth if the money from her brother does not ar-rive. Although Godfrey himself is almost penniless, Ruth expec:ts him to use her legaty to pay for her life, but ii begins to appear that he has no intention of doing so. With her help, 01iver manages to free them both.

Shortly afterward, Ruth, unablc to May any longer with the incrcasiugly yiolem Godfrey, breaks her engagement and flees with I.etty to London, where they are taken in by ()liver’s fatnily until theii rela-tives there return from a trip ahroad.

Although her situation has improyed, the one thing that Ruth really desires. Oliyers love, does not seetn to be in her futurę. For his part, Olivcr believes that his station, a tut helów Rutlis. makes his love for her a hopeless one. I Itcir di-lemnia will not be resohed until they hav<‘ faeed a dangerous and dratnatie evenl that threalens Rutlis life and the lulure of both tlicse delighltiil young people.

The Author

Lamia Dunn, a British-boru author w ho now lives in Carlsbad, Galifbrnia, is the author of lMvrnder I^idy and Angrl. both published recently by Walker.