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Proud Harvest
Carne expected her to just meekly agree.
"What about me? Don't I have any say in the matter?" Lesley's eyes flashed indignantly. After all, Carne had ignored his wife and child for three years. Why should he be interested in them now?
Lesley only knew that if Carne gained custody of Jeremy and took him back to Ravensdale, the Radleys would turn the boy against her. She couldn't let that happen.
But Carne was ruthlessly determined...and he held all the cards. She had deserted Carne, not the other way around. What possible defense did she have against him?
"What about me? Don't I have any say in the matter?" Lesley's eyes flashed indignantly. After all, Carne had ignored his wife and child for three years. Why should he be interested in them now?
Lesley only knew that if Carne gained custody of Jeremy and took him back to Ravensdale, the Radleys would turn the boy against her. She couldn't let that happen.
But Carne was ruthlessly determined...and he held all the cards. She had deserted Carne, not the other way around. What possible defense did she have against him?
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1978
About the author
Anne Mather
801 books361 followersAnne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson, a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 10, 2022
Only the most absurd stories get the Harlequin theater treatment:
London 1970’s
Hero: What’s up?
Heroine: What are you doing here? It’s been five years.
Heroine’s Mommy Dearest (MD): I wrote to him about putting your 7-year-old son in boarding school so you could be “independent.”
Hero: I want the boy for his summer holidays.
Heroine: He doesn’t even know you.
MD: Let the kid go. I can’t watch him. I have bridge games *clutches chest* and angina.
Heroine: I’m a proud independent woman. I don’t care how many people I have to mow over to get my way.
MD: How could you? *Clutches chest and pearls*
Heroine: I learned it from you, Mummy.
MD: Well, I never . . .
Hero: You’re going to dinner with me tonight. You won’t eat a thing and we’ll snipe the whole time, but by the end of that scene, I’ll get my way.
Heroine: Fine.
At the train station a week later
Heroine: There he is. I can’t believe his clothes are dirty. He knows I’m a judgmental bitch. What’s his deal?
Hero: Which kid? It’s been five years.
Heroine: The
one who looks like you, genius. And you should have followed us and begged us to return.
Hero: Why should I? You were frigid after a difficult birth. Plus, you never liked the farm or my mother, or the OW who kept showing up to insult you while I buried my head in the sand.
Son: Who are you?
Heroine: Darling, this is your baby daddy/sperm donor/good-for-nothing sire.
Son: I told everyone at school you were an airline pilot.
Hero: At least you knew I was alive and as indifferent to you as your mother.
Son: Yeah. I’ve pretty much given up on life at age 7.
At the hotel on the way to Yorkshire
Heroine: Son and I will stay in this room with the twin beds.
Son: I threw up!
Hero: Looks like heroine will have to give up her bed to sleep in mine.
Heroine: I always leave my son alone when he’s sick.
Hero: Let’s have sex.
Heroine: Ok
At the farm:
Evil granny: Oh, it’s you.
Heroine: You look terrible.
Evil granny: I broke my hip because I was arguing with my son and didn’t watch where I was going. Wanna know what we were arguing about?
Heroine: Me?
Evil granny: Bingo. I don’t know why he didn’t divorce you and marry the OW after her elderly husband died.
Heroine: I wonder where my son is? *looks around and shrugs* Probably doing something unsafe. I think I’ll wring some gossip out the housekeeper.
Housekeeper: Everyone but me still hates you.
Heroine: I’m leaving in a week and you can’t stop me.
Hero: OK
Evil Granny: OK
Son: OK
Housekeeper: OK
OW: OK
Heroine: Where did you come from?
OW: I pop in and out.
Hero: You can’t leave, we’ve been invited out to eat by the local gentry.
Heroine: pftt. I’m a proud, independent woman, remember?
Hero: You didn’t say that in bed.
Paris
Heroine: I wonder how what’s-his-name is doing?
Heroine’s boss: Don’t even think of taking more time off of work.
Heroine: Gotta go. Kid’s got measles.
Heroine’s boss: Fine. But this is the last time.
Yorkshire
OW: What are you doing here?
Evil Granny: What are you doing here?
Son: What are you doing here? Oh, and OW hit me.
Heroine: Stay in your room. I’m going to lie and tell the OW I’m pregnant. That should spike her guns.
OW: Yeah. I hit your kid. He’s annoying when he’s sick.
Heroine: He’s annoying when he’s not sick. I just neglect him. But you’re a monster. And don’t think you can worm your way in here. I’m pregnant.
OW: What?
Hero: What?
Heroine: Er . . .
Hero: I love you! I’m so glad you’re back.
Heroine: I love you!
OW: I’m out of here.
Heroine: I’m not really pregnant.
Hero: We can change that. *waggles eyebrows*
Son: Mom, Dad?
H/h together: Go to your room!
And they all lived happily ever after except for Son – who escaped the farm at 18 and never looked back until he found his own virgin to continue the dysfunction for yet another generation. The end.
London 1970’s
Hero: What’s up?
Heroine: What are you doing here? It’s been five years.
Heroine’s Mommy Dearest (MD): I wrote to him about putting your 7-year-old son in boarding school so you could be “independent.”
Hero: I want the boy for his summer holidays.
Heroine: He doesn’t even know you.
MD: Let the kid go. I can’t watch him. I have bridge games *clutches chest* and angina.
Heroine: I’m a proud independent woman. I don’t care how many people I have to mow over to get my way.
MD: How could you? *Clutches chest and pearls*
Heroine: I learned it from you, Mummy.
MD: Well, I never . . .
Hero: You’re going to dinner with me tonight. You won’t eat a thing and we’ll snipe the whole time, but by the end of that scene, I’ll get my way.
Heroine: Fine.
At the train station a week later
Heroine: There he is. I can’t believe his clothes are dirty. He knows I’m a judgmental bitch. What’s his deal?
Hero: Which kid? It’s been five years.
Heroine: The
one who looks like you, genius. And you should have followed us and begged us to return.
Hero: Why should I? You were frigid after a difficult birth. Plus, you never liked the farm or my mother, or the OW who kept showing up to insult you while I buried my head in the sand.
Son: Who are you?
Heroine: Darling, this is your baby daddy/sperm donor/good-for-nothing sire.
Son: I told everyone at school you were an airline pilot.
Hero: At least you knew I was alive and as indifferent to you as your mother.
Son: Yeah. I’ve pretty much given up on life at age 7.
At the hotel on the way to Yorkshire
Heroine: Son and I will stay in this room with the twin beds.
Son: I threw up!
Hero: Looks like heroine will have to give up her bed to sleep in mine.
Heroine: I always leave my son alone when he’s sick.
Hero: Let’s have sex.
Heroine: Ok
At the farm:
Evil granny: Oh, it’s you.
Heroine: You look terrible.
Evil granny: I broke my hip because I was arguing with my son and didn’t watch where I was going. Wanna know what we were arguing about?
Heroine: Me?
Evil granny: Bingo. I don’t know why he didn’t divorce you and marry the OW after her elderly husband died.
Heroine: I wonder where my son is? *looks around and shrugs* Probably doing something unsafe. I think I’ll wring some gossip out the housekeeper.
Housekeeper: Everyone but me still hates you.
Heroine: I’m leaving in a week and you can’t stop me.
Hero: OK
Evil Granny: OK
Son: OK
Housekeeper: OK
OW: OK
Heroine: Where did you come from?
OW: I pop in and out.
Hero: You can’t leave, we’ve been invited out to eat by the local gentry.
Heroine: pftt. I’m a proud, independent woman, remember?
Hero: You didn’t say that in bed.
Paris
Heroine: I wonder how what’s-his-name is doing?
Heroine’s boss: Don’t even think of taking more time off of work.
Heroine: Gotta go. Kid’s got measles.
Heroine’s boss: Fine. But this is the last time.
Yorkshire
OW: What are you doing here?
Evil Granny: What are you doing here?
Son: What are you doing here? Oh, and OW hit me.
Heroine: Stay in your room. I’m going to lie and tell the OW I’m pregnant. That should spike her guns.
OW: Yeah. I hit your kid. He’s annoying when he’s sick.
Heroine: He’s annoying when he’s not sick. I just neglect him. But you’re a monster. And don’t think you can worm your way in here. I’m pregnant.
OW: What?
Hero: What?
Heroine: Er . . .
Hero: I love you! I’m so glad you’re back.
Heroine: I love you!
OW: I’m out of here.
Heroine: I’m not really pregnant.
Hero: We can change that. *waggles eyebrows*
Son: Mom, Dad?
H/h together: Go to your room!
And they all lived happily ever after except for Son – who escaped the farm at 18 and never looked back until he found his own virgin to continue the dysfunction for yet another generation. The end.
December 15, 2021
Never read a book where I hated all the characters.
This is a first.
The only one I liked and pitied was the child.
The heroine left the hero after 2 years of marriage, because her mother in law was nasty- basically- and the hero wasn't suppirtive.
She was young and the hero was a farmer (so what?), she felt isolated and lonely so she went back to her mother with her baby boy.
The hero stopped seeing the child after one year, because he didn't want to mess with his head.
This is the most stupid reason I've ever heard.
The man is the child's father and he thinks it's better if his son doesn't see him for how much, three years?
Then he comes back because he suddenly decided it's time his son spends the holiday with him and his mother.
The heroine doesn't want it because she's afraid the hero's mother has a bad influence oh her son.
The heroine's mother first agrees with the hero but afterwards she whines and tells the child he's going to forget her and his mum.
The child is puzzled and feels guilty. He's a poor lil boy who is going to boarding school because both parents have no time for him.
He doesn't even recognize his father.
He made up a fictional father who's an aeroplane's pilot. I liked the moment when the mother of a fellow child congratulates with the hero about his interesting job. It was priceless.
The man deserved it.
Then the hero asks the heroine to go with them because it would be better for their child if she stayed with them.
They have sex the first night they are alone together.
Oh my god.
And it's not the end yet.
The heroine is jealous of a neighbour who is lusting after the hero. She thinks that he had an affair with her since forever.
Of course the hero is not interested.
His mother is the mil from hell.
Thank god in the end the housekeeper, the only adult character I liked, is able to persuade the heroine to go back and eventually she and that d***head of the hero have an explanation and declare that they always loved one another all along, and the heroine is happy to be a farmer's wife and have many children.
I should be angry for the chauvinism of this book, but it's the least of its faults.
The heroine is a bad mother, she leaves the hero without a good reason, she doesn't want her son to be with his father because she thinks that he would try to keep him from her. How selfish is this?
The hero is an idiot. No father should ever cut his own child from his life, for any reason whatsoever.
Even a distant father is better than no father at all, if he's alive of course. If a father refuses to see his child the boy feels it as a personal rejection. (Is it difficult to understand?)
The heroine's mother is an unstable person.
The hero's mother is mean.
OW slaps the child because he peed in bed. Heroine doesn't retaliate. WTF?????? I would have killed the woman if she touched my child.
I whish I could fetch the child and find him a better family. He's a good candidate for mental illness if he stays with those parents.
This is a first.
The only one I liked and pitied was the child.
The heroine left the hero after 2 years of marriage, because her mother in law was nasty- basically- and the hero wasn't suppirtive.
She was young and the hero was a farmer (so what?), she felt isolated and lonely so she went back to her mother with her baby boy.
The hero stopped seeing the child after one year, because he didn't want to mess with his head.
This is the most stupid reason I've ever heard.
The man is the child's father and he thinks it's better if his son doesn't see him for how much, three years?
Then he comes back because he suddenly decided it's time his son spends the holiday with him and his mother.
The heroine doesn't want it because she's afraid the hero's mother has a bad influence oh her son.
The heroine's mother first agrees with the hero but afterwards she whines and tells the child he's going to forget her and his mum.
The child is puzzled and feels guilty. He's a poor lil boy who is going to boarding school because both parents have no time for him.
He doesn't even recognize his father.
He made up a fictional father who's an aeroplane's pilot. I liked the moment when the mother of a fellow child congratulates with the hero about his interesting job. It was priceless.
The man deserved it.
Then the hero asks the heroine to go with them because it would be better for their child if she stayed with them.
They have sex the first night they are alone together.
Oh my god.
And it's not the end yet.
The heroine is jealous of a neighbour who is lusting after the hero. She thinks that he had an affair with her since forever.
Of course the hero is not interested.
His mother is the mil from hell.
Thank god in the end the housekeeper, the only adult character I liked, is able to persuade the heroine to go back and eventually she and that d***head of the hero have an explanation and declare that they always loved one another all along, and the heroine is happy to be a farmer's wife and have many children.
I should be angry for the chauvinism of this book, but it's the least of its faults.
The heroine is a bad mother, she leaves the hero without a good reason, she doesn't want her son to be with his father because she thinks that he would try to keep him from her. How selfish is this?
The hero is an idiot. No father should ever cut his own child from his life, for any reason whatsoever.
Even a distant father is better than no father at all, if he's alive of course. If a father refuses to see his child the boy feels it as a personal rejection. (Is it difficult to understand?)
The heroine's mother is an unstable person.
The hero's mother is mean.
OW slaps the child because he peed in bed. Heroine doesn't retaliate. WTF?????? I would have killed the woman if she touched my child.
I whish I could fetch the child and find him a better family. He's a good candidate for mental illness if he stays with those parents.
March 13, 2017
D....N....F!!!!!!!!
There is no time for this kind of crap.
What a foul, filthy group of characters at play here. The h, whose competition of worst mother of the year lies with her own mother and MIL, the hero who ignores his son's existence for three years so the son doesn't recognize him, and the evil OW who slaps the little boy and fires the maid who is the only decent and sane person in the house besides the kid.
The H and h are oil water. He's Green Acres, she's Park Avenue, or in this case Yorkshire and Mayfair, London. Toss in an critical evil bitch of a MIL, and an evil bitch OW, and stick a fork in this mess.
For starters, the little boy is at boarding school......he's seven, SEVEN, at the beginning of the story, and the mother of the year can't see the sense in letting her seven year little boy hang out with his father on the farm. Yeah, what kid would want to play on a farm?
Rot in Harlequin hell, folks.
Green Acres is the place to be.
Farm livin' is the life for me.
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.
New York is where I'd rather stay.
I get allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a penthouse view.
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.
There is no time for this kind of crap.
What a foul, filthy group of characters at play here. The h, whose competition of worst mother of the year lies with her own mother and MIL, the hero who ignores his son's existence for three years so the son doesn't recognize him, and the evil OW who slaps the little boy and fires the maid who is the only decent and sane person in the house besides the kid.
The H and h are oil water. He's Green Acres, she's Park Avenue, or in this case Yorkshire and Mayfair, London. Toss in an critical evil bitch of a MIL, and an evil bitch OW, and stick a fork in this mess.
For starters, the little boy is at boarding school......he's seven, SEVEN, at the beginning of the story, and the mother of the year can't see the sense in letting her seven year little boy hang out with his father on the farm. Yeah, what kid would want to play on a farm?
Rot in Harlequin hell, folks.
Green Acres is the place to be.
Farm livin' is the life for me.
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.
New York is where I'd rather stay.
I get allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a penthouse view.
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.
June 2, 2016
An older harlequin, though surprisingly hardly any smoking going on as compared to other books in this genre. The married couple have been separated for a few years, due to misunderstanding and incompatibility. The wife is a city girl and the husband a farmer/landowner. As a young bride and mother she was constantly being insulted and made to feel inadequate by her mother in law who lived with them. It didn't help either that a childhood, friend and neighbor (OW) who coveted the hero, was always hanging around, taking every opportunity to undermine the heroine. Well it worked. The heroine was too young and insecure to assert herself as the wife and left with her young son. The hero was also insecure about her feelings towards him, thinking they were just provincials and not good enough for her.
Fast forward a few years, the heroine is back in the city and has a demanding job, her small son is now in boarding school and coming home for the holidays. They live with her mother, but the mother is feeling her age and doesn't want to look after an energetic 7year old, so she suggests they call the father to help out. The hero comes immediately and is willing to take the boy to holiday at the farm with him. Heroine objects since she has never been separated from her son. They compromise and the heroine agrees to take part of her vacation with them, back at the farm. She meets up again with the hostile mother in law and OW neighbor. It isn't not a very fun vacation for her. The attraction between the couple is still hot. She goes back to her job but after a week she is called back since her son is sick. The son is not that sick anymore but the hero had her called anyway since he thinks its the only way to get her back to the farm. He confesses all that he loved her all along and only wanted to give her time to come back. Presumably, now she is more mature she can better deal with the nasty mother in law. Hero also confesses that there was never anything between him and neighbor and she has been making a nuisance of herself so he had to tell her off. Dont see how years of incompatibility will suddenly work out for them, but hey, I'm still hopeful.
Fast forward a few years, the heroine is back in the city and has a demanding job, her small son is now in boarding school and coming home for the holidays. They live with her mother, but the mother is feeling her age and doesn't want to look after an energetic 7year old, so she suggests they call the father to help out. The hero comes immediately and is willing to take the boy to holiday at the farm with him. Heroine objects since she has never been separated from her son. They compromise and the heroine agrees to take part of her vacation with them, back at the farm. She meets up again with the hostile mother in law and OW neighbor. It isn't not a very fun vacation for her. The attraction between the couple is still hot. She goes back to her job but after a week she is called back since her son is sick. The son is not that sick anymore but the hero had her called anyway since he thinks its the only way to get her back to the farm. He confesses all that he loved her all along and only wanted to give her time to come back. Presumably, now she is more mature she can better deal with the nasty mother in law. Hero also confesses that there was never anything between him and neighbor and she has been making a nuisance of herself so he had to tell her off. Dont see how years of incompatibility will suddenly work out for them, but hey, I'm still hopeful.
August 18, 2012
IN some ways this book irritated the hell outta me. The heroine needed more backbone, the hero needed to stand up to his mother. The heroines mother needed to mind her own business and the heroes mother needed to take the stick outta her ass and back the hell up. It was a good read but a frustrated one.
February 10, 2025
Interesting
If you like a book that involves an argument from Chapter One to the end then this is for you! Apparently fighting between characters is the new way of showing affection. (Its really not)
It supposedly ended in a HEA, but since there was not one iota of chemistry between the couple how could they have an HEA?
If you like a book that involves an argument from Chapter One to the end then this is for you! Apparently fighting between characters is the new way of showing affection. (Its really not)
It supposedly ended in a HEA, but since there was not one iota of chemistry between the couple how could they have an HEA?
April 6, 2011
Rating: 2.5
Suuuuuuuuch a bicker-fest - amazingly it was one of M&B's best sellers...so -all I gotta say is hmmm
Suuuuuuuuch a bicker-fest - amazingly it was one of M&B's best sellers...so -all I gotta say is hmmm
June 14, 2017
wow what a mess .....both of them were unlikeable and unloveable
the one sex/ romantic scene was fade to black with the classic line "I'm a man not a saint"
....which is quite funny really
and then the next morning he asks ....are you alright???
since they both obviously survived the earthquake ....that we the reader don't know anything about lest we get any ideas ....
the kid was a bright spot but
my suggestion is .....cast a cold eye / Horseman pass by
the one sex/ romantic scene was fade to black with the classic line "I'm a man not a saint"
....which is quite funny really
and then the next morning he asks ....are you alright???
since they both obviously survived the earthquake ....that we the reader don't know anything about lest we get any ideas ....
the kid was a bright spot but
my suggestion is .....cast a cold eye / Horseman pass by
November 23, 2017
eeew. No. These two don't love each other, they hate each other. I wasn't even convinced of their passion for each other.
Worst MIL in HPLandia award.
I do love it when the hero asks the heroine if she's alright the morning after sex, though. That shit KILLS me.
Worst MIL in HPLandia award.
I do love it when the hero asks the heroine if she's alright the morning after sex, though. That shit KILLS me.
May 6, 2021
Carne expected her to just meekly agree.
"What about me? Don't I have any say in the matter?" Lesley's eyes flashed indignantly. After all, Carne had ignored his wife and child for three years. Why should he be interested in them now?
Lesley only knew that if Carne gained custody of Jeremy and took him back to Ravensdale, the Radleys would turn the boy against her. She couldn't let that happen.
But Carne was ruthlessly determined...and he held all the cards. She had deserted Carne, not the other way around. What possible defense did she have against him?
"What about me? Don't I have any say in the matter?" Lesley's eyes flashed indignantly. After all, Carne had ignored his wife and child for three years. Why should he be interested in them now?
Lesley only knew that if Carne gained custody of Jeremy and took him back to Ravensdale, the Radleys would turn the boy against her. She couldn't let that happen.
But Carne was ruthlessly determined...and he held all the cards. She had deserted Carne, not the other way around. What possible defense did she have against him?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews