To Heaven With Love by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-908411-28-0
Publisher: Barbara Cartland.com
Published: 2012-12-19T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

The carriage wheels rattled gaily over the road as Dorianna, Mama and Step-papa were borne swiftly away from their familiar Hertfordshire countryside, travelling on southwards towards the County of Kent.

For most of the journey Dorianna felt calmer and almost happy.

She could not forget the powerful feeling she had experienced as she had heard the mysterious voice from the woodland garden or her dream that the statue of Aphrodite had come to life.

‘I am going to be loved,’ she whispered to herself, as she gazed out of the carriage window at the sunlit fields.

‘That is exactly what I want, more than anything in the world. I don’t know how it is going to come about, but I am going to be loved!’

After several hours they reached the River Thames and the carriage was driven onto a ferry to be taken across the wide river and into Kent.

Dorianna got down from the carriage and walked on the deck to stretch her legs as the breeze from the river tugged at her hair, blowing her dress into billowing folds.

It was such a glorious feeling to be in the fresh air, looking out over the broad river that her heart lifted.

Just downstream from the ferry she could see a big barge with red sails drifting eastwards towards the sea.

‘I wonder where it is going?’ she pondered, feeling exhilarated at the sight and wishing there was someone to share her thoughts with.

She then remembered the Earl of Claremont again, the quiet handsome gentleman who had joined her by the window at Lady Carysfort’s soirée.

Somehow she just knew that he would have shared her joy in the glorious panorama of the river and sky and in the sight of the barge, which had moved out into the middle of the river and was picking up speed so that it seemed almost to be flying over the water to some exotic destination.

Mr. Shawcroft then coughed loudly, breaking into her reverie and she caught a whiff of his acrid cigar smoke.

He looked down from his perch on the front seat of the carriage, squinting at her in the bright sunlight.

“Mind you don’t take a chill, young lady, you don’t want to be under the weather for your wedding day!”

He chuckled away to himself, smiling his lop-sided smile.

The joy of the moment was instantly gone.

Dorianna felt heavy and sad.

‘There is no going back now,’ she reflected. ‘I am setting out on the voyage of my life as a married woman and I wish that I might be on that barge, sailing out to the open ocean, for I think I would be happier if I did not know where I was going – ’

“We are almost there, once we reach the other side of the river,” Mr. Shawcroft was saying. “Just a couple more hours and we will be at Rouston Hall.”

Dorianna’s heart contracted.

So it was a matter of hours before she would have to see Lord Buxton, feel his hot hands on hers and listen to his loud foolish voice.

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