Love Strikes a Devil by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788670838
Publisher: Barbara Cartland Ebooks Ltd
Published: 2018-07-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Vincent put down his knife and fork.

“I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a meal so much!” he exclaimed.

Charisa laughed before she said in a serious tone,

“I hope we don’t have to decide how to get you many more!”

She was sitting against the pillows.

Vincent then rose from the table and walked to the bed.

He sat down on it as he had before.

“Now,” he said, “I am going to tell you exactly what has happened, but I don’t want you to be frightened.”

“Frightened?” she questioned.

She thought that he would explain.

Instead he began very carefully, as if he was choosing his words one by one, to tell her what had happened to him in India.

He related first how a young Officer had been stabbed in the back when he was in the Bazaar and it was not until later that it had struck him that the knife was meant for him.

He skipped over what he was doing in disguise in the North and she learnt only that he was on his way back when Nicolas had joined him.

Charisa was listening, her hands clasped in front of her.

Her large eyes were on Vincent’s face, which she could see quite clearly in the moonlight.

She realised that he was very thin and there were lines on his face that had not been there when he had left England.

He then related how Nicolas had told him that a brother Officer, who had moved into his bed when he had left the Barracks, had been killed.

Charisa made a little murmur of horror.

Then Vincent went on to explain how he had gone to the stream to fetch the beer that he was keeping cool there.

When he returned to his tent, he found that Nicolas had been murdered.

As if she wanted somehow to protect him, Charisa put out her hand.

Vincent took it in both of his.

“I do not want to upset you,” he said, “but I need your help and there is no one else I can trust.”

“You – know I will – help you,” Charisa answered, “but, Vincent – who could want to – kill you?”

Vincent was silent.

Suddenly Charisa gave a cry that was almost a scream.

“It is Gervais! Of course, it is Gervais!”

“Why should you think that?” Vincent asked quietly.

"Because his friend the Comte Jean de Soisson, who arrived yesterday, told me that Gervais ‘jumped for joy’ when he learnt that Uncle George was dead.”

She paused before she went on,

“The Comte said that he was so excited that he might have jumped – over the moon!”

Vincent looked at her, but was still silent as she said, the words tumbling out of her mouth,

“Do – you not – see? You have – just told me that – Nicolas brought you – the newspaper in which it – was reported that your Uncle George was – dead. Gervais knew that when he – died he would be the next – Marquis! He could have – known that only if he had – disposed of you – !”

Vincent’s hands tightened on hers.

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