The Blood-Red Cross by L.T. Meade
The Blood-Red Cross is a thrilling adventure novel by L.T. Meade, first published in 1894. It follows the story of two young women, Mary and Alice, who are sent to a convent in France to escape the dangers of the French Revolution. At the convent, they meet a mysterious nun, Sister Agnes, who tells them of a secret society called the Blood-Red Cross. The society is dedicated to protecting the innocent from the violence of the revolution, and Sister Agnes enlists Mary and Alice to help her in her mission. The girls soon find themselves in the middle of a dangerous plot involving a powerful nobleman, a secret society, and a mysterious stranger. As they race against time to save innocent lives, they must also confront their own fears and doubts. Will they be able to save the day, or will they be consumed by the violence of the revolution?
By L.T. Meade · First published 1902 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Romance · 8,624 words
First lines
In the month of November in the year 1899 I found myself a guest in the house of one of my oldest friends--George Rowland. His beautiful place in Yorkshire was an ideal holiday resort. It went by the name of Rowland's Folly, and had been built on the site of a former dwelling in the reign of the first George. The house was now replete with every modern luxury. It, however, very nearly cost its first owner, if not the whole of his fortune, yet the most precious heirloom of the family. This was a pearl necklace of almost fabulous value. It had been secured as booty by a certain Geoffrey Rowland at the time of the Battle of Agincourt, had originally been the property of one of the Dukes of Genoa, and had even for a short time been in the keeping of the Pope. From the moment that Geoffrey Rowland took possession of the necklace there had been several attempts made to deprive him of it. Sword, fire, water, poison, had all been used, but ineffectually. The necklace with its eighty pearls, smooth, symmetrical, pear-shaped, of a translucent white colour and with a subdued iridescent sheen, was still in the possession of the family, and was likely to remain there, as George Rowland told me, until the end of time. Each bride wore the necklace on her wedding-day, after which it was put into the strong-room and, as a rule, never seen again until the next bridal occasion. The pearls were roughly estimated as worth from two to three thousand pounds each, but the historical value of the necklace put the price almost beyond the dreams of avarice.
What this Textopian page supports
The Blood-Red Cross is listed on Textopian as a novel by L.T. Meade, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: L.T. Meade
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Romance, Fantasy
- Length: 8,624 words
- Structure: 1 section, 360 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Blood-Red Cross by L.T. Meade
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The Blood-Red Cross is set in the Middle Ages and follows the story of a young knight, making it a historical fiction novel.
- Adventure — The Blood-Red Cross follows the adventures of a young knight, making it an adventure novel.
- Romance — The Blood-Red Cross features a romantic subplot between the young knight and a princess, making it a romance novel.
- Fantasy — The Blood-Red Cross features elements of fantasy, such as magical creatures and a quest for a magical artifact, making it a fantasy novel.
Tags
adventure · mystery · historical fiction · young adult · suspense · friendship · courage · exploration · conflict · heroism · survival · secrets