An Arrow of Love

An Arrow of Love is #31 in the Bantam series and was published in January 1976. Barbara Cartland writes a story about Melissa, who, in order to escape her stepmother and determined suitor, acts as a lady's maid to her friend Cheryl. What happens after she is found out by Cheryl's guardian, The Duke of Aldwick, is the plot of this book set in 1820 during regency times.

During this time, women had few rights, so if Melissa was underage, she would be under the protection of a guardian or parent. Unfortunately, death made some people unworthy guardians and some neglected their duties.

Francis Marshall paints 2 similar covers of the same scene. The Bantam one has the hero confronting the heroine as she's come in from the outside while the Pan version has her sitting with her bonnet and shawl cast aside. Our hero is dressed as a regency dandy, though he wears slippers instead of boots in the Bantam cover. Both are very beautiful covers.