Dancing on a Rainbow by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbara Cartland EBooks ltd
Published: 2013-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

When Loretta awoke in the morning, she could hardly believe that last night had not been a dream.

It seemed too extraordinary that, despite Ingrid’s warning, she had found that the Marquis was different in every way from what she had expected and had been led to believe about him.

How could he have spoken to her as he had? How could he have taken her to the fountain, then brought her away in a manner in which, even though she was innocent and unsophisticated, she knew no other man would have behaved.

‘I don’t understand,” she whispered to herself, ‘I don’t understand him and why he is as he is.’

She longed to ask Ingrid’s advice, but she knew it would be impossible to make her cousin or anybody else understand the sensations the Marquis aroused in her and she was far too shy to repeat anything he had said to her.

Her breakfast was brought to her in bed and afterwards, because she understood from Marie that it was expected, she dressed slowly and did not go downstairs until late in the morning.

There was no sign of Ingrid and she went into the little sitting room where she had been taken the first night and sat down to read the newspapers, which were full of the excitements taking place in Paris.

She had, however, only scanned the headlines when the door opened and a servant announced,

“Le Comte de Marais, madame!”

Loretta looked around in dismay.

She had been hoping that the Marquis would call, perhaps to take her driving in the Bois de Boulogne.

She had not expected the Comte and she thought how tiresomely persistent he was in view of his having called the previous evening.

He came towards her with an expression in his eyes that she disliked and he raised her hand to his lips far from perfunctorily and actually kissed it.

“Good morning, monsieur ,” Loretta said in what she hoped was a cold voice. “My hostess did not tell me that she was expecting you this morning.”

“I called to see you yesterday evening, and you avoided me,” the Comte replied. “So today I am taking no chances and am asking you, Beautiful Lady, to come driving with me in the Bois de Boulogne and afterwards we will have luncheon at Pre Catalan.”

“It is very kind of you, but unfortunately I have a previous engagement.”

“I don’t believe it!” he said angrily. “And if it is with Fabian de Sauerdun, I refuse to allow you to go with him!”

Loretta stiffened.

“I do not think, monsieur , that you are in a position of authority over me!”

“That is where you are mistaken,” the Comte answered. “I claim authority from finding you exquisite, adorable and very very desirable and I have no intention of surrendering you to that breaker of hearts, a man whose love affairs are a scandal and a crying disgrace!”

He spoke with such scorn that Loretta wanted to defend the Marquis , but knew it would be indiscreet.

Instead, she said,

“I think, monsieur , this conversation is quite uncalled for.

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