A Heart of Stone by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-78213-500-5
Publisher: Barbara Cartland .com
Published: 2014-05-11T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

Vanora heard the guests arriving the next afternoon.

They chatted as they walked from the hall up to the drawing room.

She wondered if amongst them there was anyone as beautiful as the lady whom Lady Sophie had mentioned as the Earl’s last love in London.

She found herself thinking about it when she should have been sorting out the books.

Had the Earl missed her when he had returned to Scotland? Had he any intention of going back to London to be with her?

She wondered if the lady in question was clever as well as beautiful.

The more she had talked to the Earl, the more she realised how well read he was.

She was aware too that he had a ‘third eye’ which made him see deep inside the person he was speaking to.

Once or twice when they were having a discussion, she realised that he had read her thoughts before she had expressed them or he anticipated what she was going to say before she said it.

She tried not to think about him.

Yet her thoughts kept returning to the guests who were upstairs.

She found it hard to concentrate on the books.

There was one shelf right in the middle of the room that she had finished.

She had filled it with all the books she could find in Gaelic and those that referred to the history of Scotland and that at least would make it easy for any visitors to find what they required.

It was not, however, other readers she was thinking about but the Earl.

She knew that he, if no one else, would appreciate the library when it was finished and she wanted to ask him now what he thought of the shelf that she had already done.

Then she told herself firmly that she must behave in a more discreet manner.

Otherwise Lady Sophie might want her sent away before her task was finished.

Even as she thought that, she remembered that her real task was to find the Stone.

When she had found it, Ewen would expect her to take it to him and leave the library unfinished.

She worked until it was teatime and then one of the maids brought her some tea on a tray.

She thanked her and the girl said,

“They be a-talkin’ their heads off in the drawin’ room and it makes me think of how quiet it usually be here in The Castle.”

Vanora wondered if that was what the Earl enjoyed.

She quickly ate what was brought her for tea and continued her work with the books.

She was just considering what the next shelf should contain when the door of the library opened.

The Earl came in.

And it seemed to Vanora as if her heart turned a somersault.

She told herself it was because he was smiling and looking pleased to see her.

“I am afraid I have neglected you, Miss Bruce,” he said. “I know my aunt has told you that we have guests to stay and, as they have not been to The Castle for years, they are curious to see the improvements I intend to make.

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