Signpost To Love by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbara Cartland EBooks ltd
Published: 2014-01-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

It was growing late in the evening when they drove into Paris and Baptista was tremendously excited by all that she saw.

“Look at the tall houses with their grey shutters!” she cried, “and the trees in every street. It’s so pretty – so exactly what I thought Paris would be like!”

The Earl smiled at her enthusiasm.

Because he had wanted her to look her best they had not ridden after they left Chantilly, but driven in the carriage and he thought that the new gown Barnard had bought her was exceedingly becoming as was the small bonnet that went with it, trimmed with flowers.

He had known that the clothes meant more to her than they would have done to another girl who had not been kept in a puritan state of austerity and never allowed the frivolities that meant so much to a woman.

Even so he knew that few women of his acquaintance would have been so sincerely grateful instead of taking everything that was given to them as a right because they were beautiful.

He was aware that Baptista was not only unsure of her behaviour and her looks but also of her relationship with other people.

This was understandable considering she had been kept imprisoned in her father’s house and both men and women of her own age were an unknown quantity.

He knew as they entered Paris that, while she was thrilled with everything she saw, she was also apprehensive of meeting his friends and no longer being alone with him.

“What is your friend the Vicomte like?” she had asked while they were having luncheon.

“He is a very charming and sophisticated Frenchman,” the Earl answered without really thinking.

When he saw that meant very little to Baptista, he explained further,

“The Vicomte is the eldest son of the Marquis St. Quentin who is an extremely rich man, but in ill health, so he seldom leaves his magnificent château in the Loire.”

“I would like to see a really important château,” Baptista murmured.

The Earl continued as if she had not spoken,

“My friend, the Vicomte, therefore has the family house in Paris to himself and you will find it holds some very interesting pictures as well as magnificent Louis XIV furniture which was luckily not destroyed in the Revolution.”

He saw that Baptista was interested, and he went on,

“The Vicomte was married when he was very young and his wife gave him two sons before she died giving birth to a third.”

“I did not think of him as being married!” Baptista exclaimed. “I thought he would be a bachelor like you.”

The Earl smiled.

“That is what he is to all intents and purposes, because he leaves his children with their grandparents and enjoys himself in Paris.”

There was a little silence and then Baptista said,

“And that is what you – will do – with him?”

He knew that she was thinking once again of the women she called ‘lovely ladies’ and he thought apprehensively that she had come very close to the truth.

“I have other things to do as well,” he said evasively.

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