The American Heiress

London England: Hodder & Stoughton, 1980. Summer, 1915. In the rich New York household of the Jervis family all is bustle and preparation. Clemency Jervis and her mother are on their way to England where Clemency is to marry the dashing Lord Hugo Hazzard, whom she captivated while he was visiting New York some months before. Travelling with them is Clemency's personal maid, Hetty Brown, a young girl who bears a strong physical resemblance to her mistress. At last all is ready and the trio make their way to the harbour to start their voyage across the Atlantic - on board the Lusitania...Only a few miles off the Irish coast the ship is torpedoed and, frantic over saving her valuable jewlellery, Clemency orders Hetty to wear her initialled gold bracelet before making for the lifeboats. Hetty is to become one of the few survivors, and is rushed to a nearby Irish convent where she is nursed back to health, To her surprise, she is taken for Clemency by the nuns. Perhaps she could carry off a full impersonation - pretend indeed to be the American heiress whom Lord Hazzard is to marry. But before that she must meet Hugo and his relations; she must learn whether Clemency did indeed perish with the Lusitania. And as she struggles to assume a totally different identity she realises that her impersonation is to make claims upon her which she could never have foreseen. Very slight shelf wear to D/J.. First Edition. Cloth. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hardback.