The Orange-Tree Plot

by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

EUGENIE, cherished only child of Comte de Talcy, is brought up amid the splendours and luxuries of Versaille and the Ancient Regime. But in 1789 Paris erupts into revolution and terror; her father's untimely death alone cheats the guillotine, and Eugenie is forced to flee for her life.At the age of nineteen, she finds herself homeless and destitute, set down by a small boat on the south coast of England, accompanied only by her maid Marie, and possessed of nothing but the clothes she wears. And when, on the long and weary walk to London, an arrogant gentleman in a sporting-carriage heartlessly splashes Eugenie as he drives by, it is almost more than she can bear.On reaching London, she is taken under the patronage of Lady Mary Berrington, an old family friend, only to discover that Lady Mary's adored nephew, the Earl of St Osyth — the most eligible bachelor in London — is none other than the heartless gentleman in the sporting-carriage whom Eugenie has vowed to never forgive.Eugenie's new life is further disturbed when one of Robespierre's agents in London recognises her. A plot is afoot to kidnap Eugenie and bring her back to Paris to face execution. St Osyth could save her but she refuses to ask him and must turn for help elsewhere. Not one but two counterplots develop, both with potentially disastrous results.THE author of more than 70 successful published works, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles won the Young Writers Award in 1972 with her debut novel, The Waiting Game. She studied English and history at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, and held several jobs in commerce before becoming a full-time writer in 1978.As well as various historical, contemporary, romantic and fantasy works, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has created and written The Morland Dynasty series of 34 novels, which span 500 years — from 15th-century England to the 1930s. She is now enjoying a new era of popular success and critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic for her 14 Bill Slider Mysteries and four omnibus editions.

Genres: Historical

248 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 1989

About the author

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (aka Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennett)

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.

She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.

She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.

In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.

Reviews

[Littlegreengoblin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun enough read, I do think Harrod-Eagles was able to paint a colourful picture of the times. However, much of this story is only too predictable and the protagonist (and most all characters) too one-dimensional. I'm not greatly impressed.

[Alison Hesketh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly not to to the author’s usual standard. Very predictable and some sloppy editing. Characters meh!