101. A Call of Love by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-78213-331-5
Publisher: M-Y Books
Published: 2013-04-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

Aisha found the whole of the next day entrancing.

There was so much varied and interesting scenery to watch from the windows of their drawing room on the train.

Above all she had the whole day in which to talk to Lord Kenington, to have his undivided attention and to discuss so many of the subjects she had in mind.

When she went to bed that night, she thanked God for giving her such a happy day, so happy that she had almost forgotten to worry about her father.

Aisha had again slept peacefully in what she found was a surprisingly comfortable bed. Lord Kenington was obviously in a cheerful mood and the sun was shining and everything seemed wonderful.

A carriage was waiting for them at the station to drive them to Viceregal Lodge.

“I know nothing at all about the Viceroy’s house in Simla,” Aisha said as the horses drove off. “Tell me about it, my Lord.”

“Apparently, Lord Lytton had a bad impression of it when he first saw it. He described it to his friends as ‘a mere bivouac’. He found ‘Peterhof’, as it is nicknamed, uncomfortably small and he complained he could never be alone there.”

“What did he mean by that?” Aisha asked.

“He said the sentries outside his window were too close for one thing and that ‘three unpronounceable beings in white and red nightgowns’ rushed after him if he walked about indoors. And, if he set foot in the garden, he was ‘stealthily followed by a tail of fifteen persons’.”

“I don’t believe it,” Aisha laughed.

“Nor do I, but it made a good story.” “But I have always heard that the people of Simla are the most amusing and, of course, there are innumerable visitors from England.”

“Unfortunately, the Viceroy really prefers Paris to anywhere else and in fact he said to a friend of mine only a few weeks ago, ‘I do so miss the pleasant scamps and scampesses of glorious France’!”

“Now you are telling me things I have not thought of before,” Aisha said. “I heard that everyone in England and India thinks that he is one of the best Viceroys we have ever sent.”

“You will find him charming, as I do. At the same time I would rather agree that he would be more at home in France than he is in India.”

It did not take them long to drive from the station to Peterhof.

Aisha thought it smaller and not as attractive as she had imagined it would be, but the garden was lovely with a mass of flowers, which would have been just impossible in Calcutta at the moment owing to the heat.

When they were shown into the reception room, Lord Lytton was already there.

He held out his hands in delight when he saw Lord Kenington.

“Charles!” he exclaimed. “I have been counting the days until you arrived. There are a great number of matters I want you to help me with.”

“And I have come to India especially for your help, Robert,” Lord Kenington replied, “so we will have

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