The Eternal Collection Books 81 - 90 (The Eternal Collection Compilations) by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland [Cartland, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance
Publisher: Barbara Cartland Ebooks ltd
Published: 2022-11-01T23:00:00+00:00

“I must thank you for fulfilling your part of the contract. I enclose my side of it as arranged.

Dart Huron,”

Aria stared at the letter and slowly sat down in the chair, reading the words over and over again.

Almost automatically she opened the cheque.

It was, as she had expected, for three thousand pounds and with a sudden surge of pride and resentment she made a gesture as if to tear it up.

It was at that moment that Nanny came into the room carrying a plate of eggs and bacon.

“A cheque!” she exclaimed with the familiarity of a trusted friend of the family. “That’s good news and I was expectin’ it to be another bill. Who’s it from, dearie?”

Without saying a word Ana handed her the pink form. Nanny took it from her, stared at it, her eyes widened in astonishment and though her lips parted, it seemed for a moment as if no sound would come from them.

“Three thousand pounds!” she exclaimed at last in an awed tone. “But what can it be for and why is it made out to you?”

“Tear it up,” Aria said wearily. “I cannot accept it.”

“It’s a present then?” Nanny enquired. “From Mr. Dart Huron? Why should he be givin’ you a present like that?”

The sudden sharp suspicion in her eyes and tone made Aria shake her head and give her lips a faint twist, a mocking reflection of a smile.

“It’s not for what you think, Nanny,” she said. “He is not interested in me – except so long as I served a useful purpose. He asked me to become engaged merely to save him from having to admit an engagement to another woman. If I did that, he was prepared to pay me three thousand pounds.”

“So that’s the explanation,” Nanny said. “As I said to Mr. Charles last night after you had gone up to bed, there was somethin’ wrong somewhere, I could see that as plain as in your face. I haven’t looked after you all these years, dearie, without I knew when you’re happy or unhappy.”

“I couldn’t talk about it last night,” Aria said. “I am sorry, because I knew you were wanting to hear all about it. It’s just that I couldn’t talk.”

“I understand. We all gets like that at times. Three thousand pounds! Think what it would do to this house. Think what it would mean to the farm.”

“Yes, I know,” Aria said, “and that’s why I agreed to his suggestion at the time. But I can’t take the money, I can’t, Nanny.”

She felt the tears suddenly welling into her eyes and there was a break in her voice as she spoke the last words.

Nanny gave a little sigh.

“I expect you knows best, dearie,” she said. “But t’would mean a great deal of difference to you and Charles.”

“Yes, I know,” Aria said. “Can’t you understand that is just why we can’t take it? It would be charity, or worse still, it would be gaining money by what are really false pretences.

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