Bride to a Brigand by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781782131236
Publisher: Barbara Cartland EBooks ltd

Chapter Five

To her astonishment, Ileana saw waiting for them the Landau that her father used on state occasions.

It was an open carriage drawn by six perfectly matched white horses and the postilions accompanying it were dressed in the Royal uniform.

A troop of the King’s Cavalry was drawn up behind it and, as she and the General appeared the Officer-in-Charge saluted them.

In a voice that only the General could hear Ileana said beneath her breath,

“I suppose you ordered this in my name!”

“Of course!” he replied. “But the decorations were done by my people and I hope you appreciate them.”

Once again he was mocking her and, with her lips set in a hard line, she looked coldly at the flowers on the horses’ bridles, the wreaths around their necks and the back of the Landau, which was massed with flowers of every colour.

It was very attractive and picturesque, but Ileana thought she could not imagine anything more humiliating than to drive to the Palace accompanied by a man who by his very appearance was, she felt, sneering at the position she occupied in Zokāla.

There was, however, nothing she could do but step into the Landau and they drove off cheered by those of the bandits and their followers who were not taking part in the procession.

She was well aware that behind the Cavalry had been lined up the General’s huge guns and, because she could not repress her curiosity, she looked back as they turned out of the Bela Valley to see the enormous procession she was heading that seemed to stretch away indefinitely.

Once on the main road the horses could travel faster and Ileana knew it would not take more than about an hour and a half to reach the Palace.

She imagined she could see it in the far distance ahead of her and thought how different her feelings had been the previous morning when she had left it intending only to find out from Olav how much he knew about the Pallikares.

Never in her wildest imagination had she thought she would return married to their Leader – a man she despised, and of whom at the same time, she was afraid.

She would not look at him as he sat beside her, wearing the plumed hat that could only be worn by the Commander-in-Chief of the Army.

She thought he was positively inviting the citizens of Zokāla to expose, imprison and even execute him for his impertinence.

At the same time, whatever she might feel about him personally, she knew that the long line of guns following them was very impressive.

Even the stupidest Zokālan would know that they were an effective and welcome answer to the ambitions Hungary or any other country might have of conquering them.

As soon as they reached the centre of the valley where the peasants were working in the fields, their appearance evoked a great deal of excitement and men and women came running to the roadside.

As soon as they saw Ileana, they burst into cheers and were obviously exceedingly curious as to who was sitting beside her in the State Landau.

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