Rose of Nancemellin - Malcolm Ross

Headstrong Rose Tremayne knows right from the start that she won't last as housemaid for the snobbish Lady Carclew. Her American-born mother named her Lucinda-Ella, but her mistress thinks this far too refined for a mere servant girl and names her Rose, instead. Rose's talents lead her into mischief, however, when she is tempted to dress up in her mistresses' clothes. It is in this 'disguise' that she discovers a half-drowned young yachtsman, Louis Redmile-Smith, on Nancemellin's private beach. He falls in love with her and she with him. But Louis presumes that Rose is Lady Carclew's ward. When Louis returns to thank Lady Carclew for her ward's kindness, Rose's deception is discovered and she is dismissed. Louis, however, is not so easily swayed from his devotion to Rose but when his fortune is lost his sense of honour will not allow him to marry her. Unable to gain another place in service due to Lady Carclew's slanderous machinations, Rose discovers the one place where her talents will win her applause rather than trouble...the stage! But as her career carries her towards the London music halls is she also being led further away from Louis?