The Storms Of Love by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781782138341
Publisher: Barbara Cartland Ebooks ltd
Published: 2016-04-29T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

By the time they had saddled Aldora’s horse, put a bridle on Caesar and came out into the courtyard, dawn had broken.

Now the first pale fingers of the sun were sweeping away the last sable of the night and because of the rain the whole world smelt fresh and fragrant.

The Duke lifted Aldora into the saddle and then mounted his own horse.

There had been no sign of the publican and the Duke suspected that he had retired to bed, so he left a guinea on the table just inside the door.

It was gross overpayment for what they had received in the dirty inn, but he was grateful that he had found Aldora and did not have to go any further in search of her.

At the same time, as they rode away, the Duke was regretting that he could not go to India.

He knew that in the circumstances there would be no point in his even discussing it with the Queen or the India Office.

He thought a little wryly as they rode along the road that it was the first time in his life that a woman had prevented him from doing what he wanted.

It was also the first time that a woman had hated him with a violence that had blinded her to everything but what she thought of as his depravity.

The road was wet and muddy from the storm and the Duke said as they proceeded,

“Although it may be rather hard going, I think we should go back the way I came, which was across the fields.”

“Of course,” Aldora agreed.

They looked for a gap in the hedgerows where they could leave the road and a short distance later came upon a small wood where, because the trees grew right down to the roadside, there was a break in the hedges.

Aldora turned her horse up what appeared to be a rough cart track and then, as the Duke followed her, stopped to let him go ahead.

There was not room for them to ride abreast until they came to a clearing where it was obvious that a number of trees had been cut down.

The wood ahead looked thick and without a track in it and the Duke paused for a few moments, wondering if it would be best to turn to the right and force their way through the trees onto what he was sure would be open fields beyond.

He was just about to ask Aldora what she thought, when a hoarse common voice ejaculated,

“Put your ’ands up! I’ve got you covered!”

Both Aldora and the Duke looked in astonishment at the man who had come riding through the thick trees ahead of them.

For a moment it seemed incredible that he actually had a pistol in his hand, which was pointing at the Duke.

He was wearing a mask over his face and was very roughly dressed with a tattered handkerchief round his neck and a worn felt hat pulled low over his eyes.

He was unshaven, his coat was ragged and his horse old and ungroomed, the bridle mended with pieces of string.

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