Frame of Dreams by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland [Cartland, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780330245876
Google: NLYrAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0709069529
Goodreads: 6603192
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 1974-12-31T11:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

When the Marquis had left Vanessa in Islington he returned to Carlton House to make certain that the Prince was at ease about the arrangements for his security.

Also, although he would not have admitted it even to himself, he wanted to find out what the Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert had thought of Vanessa.

The other guests had left, including, the Marquis was glad to note, Sir Julius Stone.

He had realised that it must have been a shock to Vanessa to encounter the man who had frightened her at the Posting-Inn.

At the same time, he hoped that in the excitement of saving the Prince from being assassinated she would not attach too much importance to meeting Sir Julius again.

"The sooner she forgets about him the better!" the Marquis told himself, and was more interested in learning what had happened to the French prisoners.

As he had expected, the Prince had already received a report of their arrival at the Tower and the preliminary interrogation that had taken place.

"I am glad you have returned, Ruckford," the Prince said as the Marquis appeared in the Chinese Drawing-Room. "General Cornwall tells me that the Governor of the Tower is already

convinced that these men acted on the instructions of Napoleon himself!"

"I was afraid, after he discovered that the English were involved with the Duc d'Enghien," the Marquis replied, "that Your Royal Highness might be a target for revenge."

"You expected this?" the Prince exclaimed in astonishment.

"I did not anticipate it to the extent of enquiring as to how closely you were guarded, Sire," the Marquis replied. "I now see it was very remiss of me not to have discussed the matter sooner with General Cornwall."

He paused and smiled as he added: "You know full well, Sire, how much the Army resents interference from outside its ranks."

"I do indeed," the Prince answered bitterly.

He had on various occasions been involved in arguments and caused deep

resentment because of his interest in Military affairs.

"At the same time," he added, "to kill me would be a great coup for the French and we must not belittle the fact."

"As Mrs. Fitzherbert said so truly this evening," the Marquis replied, "your death would not only be a tragedy for the whole country, but it would also be a tremendous blow to the morale of our fighting forces."

Mrs. Fitzherbert smiled at the Marquis as he spoke, and he thought that she was looking tired.

She was of course six years older than the Prince, which made her forty-four, and the fascination of her smile, which had been one of her foremost attractions when she was young, was now spoilt by a set of badly fitting false teeth.

At the same time, since she had returned to the Prince's side after his disastrous marriage had come to an end they had obviously been very happy together. As she had said to Lord Stourton:

"We are extremely poor but as merry as crickets."

The Marquis was prepared to believe that, but knowing the Prince, he was much more sceptical about Mrs. Fitzherbert's insistence that they were living together as brother and sister.

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