Love and the Loathsome Leopard by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland [Cartland, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, romantic fiction, smuggling, Napoleonic wars
ISBN: 9781782130543
Google: WGa2zbUnH9IC
Amazon: 1782130543
Publisher: MY Books
Published: 2012-07-02T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Wivina awoke with a feeling of happiness, then remembered suddenly what had happened.

For a moment she thought the grey darkness was in herself, then she realised that there was a sea mist outside, and as she had left the windows open last night it was swirling into the room, making everything damp.

She hastily got out of bed to close the casements. Looking out, she saw that it was impossible to see more than a few yards in front of her and the lake and the Park were completely obscured.

Instinctively she wondered if it was dangerous for the man she loved, then she knew that if he was still in the vicinity, which she doubted, it would be a protection against those who were watching for him.

She dressed and when she opened her door she found the note that Lord Cheriton had told her he would leave outside.

She picked it up, feeling a thrill because she was touching something he had written, even though she knew it would merely be a formal letter, intended for her to show in particular to Jeffrey Farlow.

She decided she would not demean herself by showing him the letter herself, but would leave it in the hall where she was quite certain that if he entered the house he would read it.

She knew his prying and suspicious nature only too well and as she opened the note she saw that Lord Cheriton had written,

“Dear Miss Compton,

May I thank you for your kindness in giving my servant and me accommodation for the night. We have been most comfortable and are sincerely grateful.

Would you be kind enough to give the enclosed guineas to your cook and to Pender, who has looked after my horses.

Again, my most sincere thanks for your hospitality and with all best wishes to you and your brother,

I remain,

Yours gratefully, Stuart Bradleigh.”

Wivina read it through, thinking not of what Lord Cheriton had written but all that he had said to her last night.

If she shut her eyes she could still feel his lips on hers and hear his deep voice telling her that he loved her.

It seemed impossible that it could have happened so swiftly and yet she knew it was what her mother had always said would occur when she met the man who was meant for her – the man to whom she belonged.

‘I love him!’ she whispered beneath her breath.

Then, taking the coins from the envelope, she went down to the kitchen with them in her hand.

“A guinea, Miss Wivina!” Mrs. Briggs exclaimed in astonishment. “Well, I never! Who’d have thought that the gentleman would be so generous? Especially after he had provided his own dinner!”

“It was certainly very kind of him,” Wivina said.

“It were indeed, and I’m sorry I didn’t meet the gentleman, and a real gentleman he was. That man of his spoke very well of him.”

Wivina smiled.

“As I hope you would speak well of me, Mrs. Briggs.”

“Is it likely as I'd do anything else?” Mrs. Briggs replied hotly, then realised that Wivina was teasing her.

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