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The Place of Stones
When Emma Tremayne leaves her family's wildly beautiful estate on the Cornish coast and accompanies her adored father to Paris, their holiday seems to hold only delight in store. And at a glittering ball at the Tuileries, she finds herself in the arms of a darly mysterious Frenchman, young Lucien de Fontenay.
But beneath the gaiety of Parisian society, the elaborate picnics at Versaille, the morning rides in the misty Bois de Boulogne, the star shower of fireworks at the Palai Royal lies the grim shadow of war. This is 1803 and the peace treaty between England and Napoleon Bonaparte is now only paper-thin.
Suddenly Emma's reckless happiness with Lucien de Fontenay is shattered. She learns that her gay and charming father is not what he seems and that the perilous secret mission he has undertaken will leave her stranded in a French hotel, facing the bleak prospect of wartime internment.
Smuggled out of Paris by Lucien to his home in the south of France under the guise of governess to his small brother, Emma finds that even the tranquil beauty of Villeroy holds no peace. Dark memories of betrayal and death under the Revolution haunt the old chateau. And anti-Bonaparte feeling runs high among the fiercely independent men and women of Provence, where the "devil's wind" - the scorching and unpredictable mistral-fance jealousies and intrigue to violent conclusion.
Before Emma Tremayne can puzzle out her adventurer father's real role in the tumultuous affairs of post-revolutionary France and his relationship to her lover Lucien, the disinherited Marquis de Fontenay and his mother, the exquisitely lovely Martine, Emma finds herself thrust into the heart of a plot to capture Napoleon Bonaparte and remove him to England - a rash attempt that forces Emma to hazard life itself to save her lover.
But beneath the gaiety of Parisian society, the elaborate picnics at Versaille, the morning rides in the misty Bois de Boulogne, the star shower of fireworks at the Palai Royal lies the grim shadow of war. This is 1803 and the peace treaty between England and Napoleon Bonaparte is now only paper-thin.
Suddenly Emma's reckless happiness with Lucien de Fontenay is shattered. She learns that her gay and charming father is not what he seems and that the perilous secret mission he has undertaken will leave her stranded in a French hotel, facing the bleak prospect of wartime internment.
Smuggled out of Paris by Lucien to his home in the south of France under the guise of governess to his small brother, Emma finds that even the tranquil beauty of Villeroy holds no peace. Dark memories of betrayal and death under the Revolution haunt the old chateau. And anti-Bonaparte feeling runs high among the fiercely independent men and women of Provence, where the "devil's wind" - the scorching and unpredictable mistral-fance jealousies and intrigue to violent conclusion.
Before Emma Tremayne can puzzle out her adventurer father's real role in the tumultuous affairs of post-revolutionary France and his relationship to her lover Lucien, the disinherited Marquis de Fontenay and his mother, the exquisitely lovely Martine, Emma finds herself thrust into the heart of a plot to capture Napoleon Bonaparte and remove him to England - a rash attempt that forces Emma to hazard life itself to save her lover.
- GenresRomance
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
1 person is currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Constance Heaven
41 books16 followersConstance Fecher Heaven
aka Constance Fecher, Constance Heaven, Christina Merlin
Constance Fecher was born on 6 August 1911 in Enfield, Middlesex, London, England, UK. She was educated at the Convent of Woodford Green, Essex from 1921 to 1928, when she went to study at King's College London, where she obtained a Honours degree in English in 1931. In 1931, she also graduated from London College of Music.
In 5 November 1939, she married William Heaven, who died in 1958. She was an actress from 1939 to 1966.
First published in 1963, she started writing historical novels with young protagonists under her maiden name Constance Fecher. From 1972, she signed her more romantic novels using her married name, Constance Heaven. She also used the pseudonym of Christina Merlin.
In 1973, her novel "The House of Kuragin" was the Winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year Award, and years later she was elected the eleventh Chairman (1981-1983) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. Mrs. Heaven continued writing until her death in 1995.
aka Constance Fecher, Constance Heaven, Christina Merlin
Constance Fecher was born on 6 August 1911 in Enfield, Middlesex, London, England, UK. She was educated at the Convent of Woodford Green, Essex from 1921 to 1928, when she went to study at King's College London, where she obtained a Honours degree in English in 1931. In 1931, she also graduated from London College of Music.
In 5 November 1939, she married William Heaven, who died in 1958. She was an actress from 1939 to 1966.
First published in 1963, she started writing historical novels with young protagonists under her maiden name Constance Fecher. From 1972, she signed her more romantic novels using her married name, Constance Heaven. She also used the pseudonym of Christina Merlin.
In 1973, her novel "The House of Kuragin" was the Winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year Award, and years later she was elected the eleventh Chairman (1981-1983) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. Mrs. Heaven continued writing until her death in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 26, 2010
Emma Tremayne's ne'er do well father suddenly decides to up take her on a pleasure trip Paris - but is it just for pleasure? Napoleon rules as First Consul and plans to invade England. Emma and her father are eventually detained by the French authorities along with several other English visitors, but her father manages to escape and he disappears entirely. Emma is rescued by Lucien de Fontenay, and he brings her to his family's estate in Provence masquerading as governess to his younger brother, but even this quiet country estate soon begins to be a hot bed of spies and counter spies and Emma finds herself in the midst of a plot to kidnap Napoleon. Who can she trust? Lucien who she's fallen in love with? Her father who still has quite a few secrets up his sleeve?
This was an easy, enjoyable read that had me guessing at most of the mysteries until the end and I never knew for sure who were the good guys and who was on the dark side. Emma was a clever enough heroine with just the right amount of spunk without going over board, and thankfully no sign of TSTL syndrome. This novel is very similar in style to Victoria Holt's romantic suspense novels, from the heroine in peril not knowing whom to trust, the first person narrative and even a brief stint in Cornwall. Just right for a rainy afternoon.
This was an easy, enjoyable read that had me guessing at most of the mysteries until the end and I never knew for sure who were the good guys and who was on the dark side. Emma was a clever enough heroine with just the right amount of spunk without going over board, and thankfully no sign of TSTL syndrome. This novel is very similar in style to Victoria Holt's romantic suspense novels, from the heroine in peril not knowing whom to trust, the first person narrative and even a brief stint in Cornwall. Just right for a rainy afternoon.
December 25, 2012
L'ho letto parecchi anni fa, ma ricordo di averlo apprezzato parecchio, nonostante il genere. Mi era piaciuto soprattutto il fatto che la love story fosse collocata all'interno di uno scenario avventuroso e inusuale: non avevo mai letto nulla ambientato nel periodo napoleonico, all'epoca, quindi ero affascinata soprattutto da questo, credo :) forse, se lo rileggessi oggi, ne avrei un'opinione diversa... :)
April 19, 2013
Recuperato su una bancarella dell'usato, è uno di quei bei romanzetti di qualche decennio fa (e uso questo termine con un'accezione che non intende essere negativa, tutt'altro!) che fondevano mirabilmente avventura, amore e un pizzico di mistero, con estremo garbo, senza eccedere in alcuna di queste direzioni.
May 4, 2024
Un'altra epoca in cui comunque l'amore vince
November 25, 2020
Una novela mucho menos interesante que "La estirpe de los Kuragin", mi anterior lectura de esta autora. Es una historia romántica situada en la Francia napoleónica, en el que su protagonista masculino es un joven noble despojado de sus posesiones por la Revolución Francesa, de ahí que su visión de este hecho histórico sea bastante crítica.
Curiosamente, lo más destacable de la novela es el personaje del padre de la protagonista femenina, del que se cuenta una historia de amor madura y mucho más apasionada y sentida que la principal. También me ha gustado la descripción de la región francesa de Camarga, en la que transcurre gran parte del libro.
No es en absoluto sobresaliente pero tampoco desestimable.
Curiosamente, lo más destacable de la novela es el personaje del padre de la protagonista femenina, del que se cuenta una historia de amor madura y mucho más apasionada y sentida que la principal. También me ha gustado la descripción de la región francesa de Camarga, en la que transcurre gran parte del libro.
No es en absoluto sobresaliente pero tampoco desestimable.
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February 12, 2012italiano
December 11, 2012
I can tolerate romantic novels, but not this stubborn forced story.
February 9, 2019
Ho letto questo libro all'inizio delle superiori e l'ho adorato, poi l'ho trovato a una bancarella di recente, l'ho riletto e mi è sembrato ancora meglio. Secondo me è un piccolo gioiello!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews