Princess Zelda of Brienz in Switzerland is being harassed by her father to marry a King or Prince of one of the small countries of Europe.
Zelda is very beautiful and determined that when she does marry it will be for love and only love and she cannot possibly fall in love with any of her father's suitors.
She runs away from her home to her cousin, Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein, who has always been very fond of her.
She tells him that she is determined to find out the truth about a scandal that has been repeated ever since she was born. This was that her real father was the fourth Duke of Milverden from one of the foremost aristocratic families of England. She is also hoping to find the love of her life.
To please her, the Prince sends her to stay in London with an old friend of his, Lady Craven, so that she can discover for herself if she is really one of the Milvers.
Prince Johann also gives her an introduction to Queen Victoria who, he is well aware, knows more about Royalty in Europe than anyone else.
How Zelda is advised to behave in a very strange way both by Queen Victoria and by her Prime Minister, Mr. Disraeli.
How she manages to meet the present Duke, who succeeded her supposed father and finds that owing to a humiliating experience when he was a young man he has become a recluse and hides away in his magnificent house filed with treasures and will see no one.
How in an assumed personality, but being intelligent and astute, she attracts and puzzles him.
And how finally they both find happiness is all told in this unusual romance by BARBARA CARTLAND.