The Master Of Tawhai was first published in 1959 by Mills and Boon and in North America in 1965 by Harlequin.

The setting is South Canterbury, near Timaru, on the Tawhai Hills Estate. This is the story of Rowena Fotheringham and Forrest Beechington.

Rowena had the rich girl's problem - to find a man who would love her for herself and not for her fortune.
How ironic it was, then, that when she went to New Zealand to earn her living like any other girl, she should fall for a rich man who had a horror of gold-diggers - and who took for granted that she must be one of them!

Cast Of Characters:

Rowena ( Rowan ) Melisande Ainsley Fotheringham, age 23, a new immigrant to New Zealand
Forrest Beechington, owner of the Tawhai Hills Estate
Peter and Nancy Jerrold, The Presbyterian minister and his wife
Lavinia Beechington ( Beechy ), Forrest's aunt, and Rowena's employer
Nelly, a maid at Tawhai Hills
Lindsay; Tony and Penny ( twins )Beechington, Forrest's nieces and nephew
Dirk Sargison, an aquaintance of Rowena's
John Maccrae, a neighbour
Nicholas Dewmore, a neighbouring farmer
Helen Dewmore, Nicholas' sister
Sir Guy Chennings, a renowned eye specialist


Rowena and Forrest re-appear in "The Kindled Fire", the story of Nicholas and Penny's romance. At that time they have two children, Guy and Melisande. There is also a reference to Rowena in "Spring In September".