The Ghost Who Fell in Love by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781782131892
Publisher: Barbara Cartland EBooks ltd
Published: 2012-12-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Sitting at the glittering gold-ornamented table at Windsor Castle, the Earl found it extremely difficult to concentrate on what was being said.

He had received the congratulations of everyone present and he had in fact felt that they were well deserved.

Crusader had won the Gold Cup, beating Sir Huldibrand after one of the finest and closest races ever seen at Ascot.

Sir Huldibrand had made the first running at a brisk rate as far as the dog kennels, then Crusader came in front and made the fastest pace down the hill.

At the turn of the course Crusader and Sir Huldibrand were neck to neck together and as the Earl heard someone say beside him,

“It was a toss up who would be the winner.”

Then there was a tremendous, slashing struggle between the two magnificent horses which ended with Crusader passing the winning post first by a nose.

“I have never seen a better race, Valient!” the King had said to the Earl when it was over, “but we might have guessed that as usual your persistent luck would enable you to carry off the highest trophy of the meeting.”

He gave a little sigh because, although it had been expected, his own horse had been unplaced.

But being genuinely fond of the Earl he had drunk his health not once but several times during the dinner at which the winner of the Gold Cup was always the Guest of Honour.

The Earl was aware that Lady Sydel was gazing at him across the table with an expression that he could not help thinking had something murderous about it!

Then he laughed to himself for being over-dramatic and was determined that he had no intention, however hard she might manoeuvre, of talking with her alone.

All through the race meeting he found himself searching the crowd with his field glasses for a face with huge pansy-coloured eyes and wearing what he was sure would be a white gown.

But it was impossible to distinguish anyone in the seething mob which was greater for the Gold Cup than at any other day of the week.

All along the course for nearly a mile were ranged lines of carriages and in front of them stood the spectators who had been temporarily driven from the track which they used as a promenade between the races.

In some places the carriages were ten deep and it was almost impossible for those at the back to have any chance of seeing the race.

Because of the fine weather and perhaps because everyone expected a fighting finish between the two horses on which an enormous amount of money had been wagered, it was more difficult than usual to clear the course. Originally the Earl remembered this was the duty of the Yeoman Pickers, but they had been succeeded by mounted patrols of Police.

The difficulty in getting everything ready for the actual race usually resulted, as it had this afternoon, in their running late.

The Earl, after he had changed his clothes at The Manor, had therefore been obliged to travel

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