A Runaway Star

The heroine in this story, Gracila, runs away from home when she finds out her fiance is also her step-mothers lover. She stays in her neighbor's home, which she believes to be unoccupied by anyone other than servants that are willing to help her. However, the heir to the property, Lord Damien, comes home after spending years abroad due to a scandal from when he was very young. The two meet and fall in love, but the main conflict is whether they can be together due to Lord Damien's past societal transgressions. As Barbara Cartland novels go, this is one of her better ones. The characters have decent dialogue, and the heroine has spirit. There are references to Lord Byron, which are always welcome in a romance.