A Hazard of Hearts by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788670463
Publisher: PublishDrive
Published: 2018-02-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The Marchioness was dressing for dinner and Martha was arranging a spray of jewelled flowers in the curls of her hair.

Yvette was putting a few finishing touches to a gown of silver gauze which had been completed only that afternoon and the black boy stood beside the dressing table holding in his hands a salver on which reposed a crystal decanter filled with wine and a glass engraved with a monogram.

“A trifle more to the right, woman,” the Marchioness said to Martha and then with an exclamation of annoyance, “pish, how clumsy your fingers are. You pulled my hair, I felt the pain of it shoot right through my head.”

“I am exceedin’ sorry, my Lady, but if you will move about it is difficult to avoid hurtin’ you.”

“Don’t argue with me,” the Marchioness snapped. “Arguments are the weapons of fools. What are you fidgeting at, Yvette?”

She moved her feet restlessly.

“Ze hem is ze right length in ze front, my Lady,” Yvette said, “but ze back is still trop long. Your Ladyship must have ze patience.”

“Pah! That is one thing I have not got,” the Marchioness said. “So hurry, for Heaven’s sake, hurry.”

“Your Ladyship will be dressed in plenty of time,” Martha said soothingly.

“I am well aware of that,” the Marchioness snapped, “but I would speak with Madame Roxana.”

Martha sniffed. She disliked the gipsy and the mere mention of her name was enough to make her scowl and draw from her one of these disapproving sounds that the Marchioness had been unable to cure her of even after thirty years’ service.

“I cannot but recollect,” the Marchioness said in a quieter tone, as though she was speaking to herself rather than to her maid, “that Roxana has been right over many things that she has predicted for me.”

“Only those that were of no matter to your Ladyship,” Martha said. “If she could give you some reliable information at cards, ’twould be more useful.”

“’Tis true that the stars are vague,” the Marchioness admitted.

“Purposely so, if you ask me,” Martha retorted.

“But she assures me that the planets will soon be in my favour,” the Marchioness said, her eyes glowing. “Soon, soon, Martha, and then all your croakings will be confounded.”

“I only hope your Ladyship will not be disappointed,” Martha said primly in a tone that conveyed only too surely her conviction that she would be.

The Marchioness laughed and suddenly her mood of irritability vanished.

“La, Martha, but you are always the same. On the sunniest day you would swear it was about to rain. I believe in Madame Roxana. She has promised me gold tonight. Yes, tonight, we shall see.”

“Your Ladyship is confident that you will win tonight?”

“No, Martha, I did not say that. I said I was expecting gold.”

Martha looked at her anxiously.

“Your Ladyship is not plannin’ anything new?” she enquired.

She would have said more, but as if she realised that Yvette and the black boy were listening, she tightened her lips while her eyes searched the Marchioness’s face as if for information.

“Now, don’t get into a fidget, Martha, I have a new plan and it’s a mighty good one.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.