The Bargain Bride by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788675628
Publisher: Barbara Cartland Ebooks ltd
Published: 2022-01-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

Aleda awoke with a start to realise that she was cold.

She was also aware that the candles by her bed were getting low and it must be very late.

Then it flashed through her mind that Doran Winton had not come.

She was still sitting in the armchair, but she had now slipped down at the side and fallen asleep against the protruding arm.

Feeling stiff, she rose to her feet and looked at the clock on the mantelpiece.

It was four o’clock in the morning!

He had not come to her and he obviously did not intend to.

For a moment she did not ask herself why but pulled off her negligée and crept into bed.

She fell into a very deep sleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

When she woke up again, it was because the curtains were being pulled back by her maid and bright sunshine was flooding into the room.

She felt tired and wanted to go back to sleep.

Then, as the maid set a tray down at the side of her bed, she was aware that it was her breakfast.

She pulled herself up against the pillows and, as the maid started to tidy the room, she asked her,

“What is the time?”

“It’s nearly half after ten, my Lady, and I thought you’d like to be called, as luncheon’s early today.”

“It is half past ten?” Aleda repeated the time again as if she could hardly believe it.

She was so used to waking very early at home because there was so much for her to do about the house and also because she usually felt hungry.

Now she ate a delicious breakfast, which was arranged on a tray with Crown Derby china and she thought just how different everything was.

Only when she had finished eating did she ask the maid who was bringing in her bath,

“Why is luncheon early?”

“Because the Master thinks that your Ladyship’d like to go ridin’ with him and so he suggests you come down in your ridin’ habit.”

Again Aleda felt that just everything had been well planned ahead regardless of whether she had any preferences or not.

At the same time she knew that there was nothing she would enjoy more than being able to ride a well-bred stallion.

She had a distinct idea that afterwards she would feel stiff, not having ridden regularly for six months, which was when the horses at Blake Hall had been sold.

She had then had to rely on an occasional mount from the horses that David had brought down from London.

Now, she thought excitedly, she would be able to ride every day.

Then she thought,

‘If my husband permits me to do so. After all he might have other plans.’

“It is just like being at school, she exclaimed aloud without really meaning to do so.

The maid turned round.

“Did you speak, my Lady?”

“Only to myself,” Aleda replied and thought actually it was not surprising.

She had often spoken aloud when she was all alone at Blake Hall because the rooms were so quiet that she thought that there was something creepy about them.

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