Riding the Storm — Pamela Oldfield

Kate Harper is one of a new breed of 1930s women -- bright, talented, and building a career in publishing. When she meets Robert Dengaul, a famous and much-older author, she is amazed by the immediate passion which flares between them. Robert is a widower, and wants nothing more than to marry the woman he loves. But there are a few obstacles to their happiness of which Kate knows nothing.

Robert is dying, but reluctant to spoil the happiness of his bride-to-be by telling her. From Kate's point of view, it's important Robert's children like her, but unstable Caroline sees her as a threat, Bernard is too worried about his own disintegrating marriage to pay much attention, and Sebastian is immediately attracted to her, and wastes no time in letting her know. But when Kate is attacked and beaten, she realises that she is the victim of more than mere unthinking jealousy.