The Island of Love by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781782138259
Publisher: Barbara Cartland Ebooks ltd
Published: 2016-03-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

The Earl had a lantern with him and, while he lit the cabin with it, Lydia opened the door of the wardrobe and groped amongst the clothes for Heloise’s sable coat.

By the time she had with difficulty found it, Heloise was screaming.

“I am not going in a – small boat!” she cried. “I shall – drown in the s-sea! I want to s-stay here.”

The Earl did not speak and Lydia forced her sister’s arms into the arms of the coat as she said quietly,

“You will be quite safe, Heloise, everybody will look after you.”

“I will not go – I will – not!” Heloise shrieked and now her voice was completely hysterical.

Lydia looked towards the Earl.

“I think you will have to carry her, my Lord.”

Still without saying anything he handed her the lantern and picked Heloise up in his arms.

For a moment she tried to struggle against him, then half-sobbing and half-screaming she put her face against his shoulder.

He carried her out into the passage and, walking behind them, Lydia lit the way.

As she passed her cabin door, she realised that she was wearing only the nightgown she had slept in.

As if the Earl was aware of it at the same time, he said,

“Put on a thick coat and follow as quickly as you can.”

For a moment Lydia hesitated, thinking that it might be difficult for him to reach the companionway in the dark.

Then she saw lights at the top of it and knew that other people on the ship were carrying lanterns.

The ship gave a lurch as she entered her cabin and almost threw her to the floor, but she managed to prop the lantern up on the dressing table before she reached for the wardrobe.

Now the ship was rolling so badly that she thought it would be a mistake to linger and, instead of finding her coat, she merely took a blanket off the bed and threw it over her shoulders.

She picked up the lantern again and went back into the passage.

She could see ahead that the Earl with Heloise in his arms had just reached the top of the companionway.

She was about to follow him when she heard a voice calling,

“Help! Help!”

She paused on the bottom step wondering if she should go on and then again there was a faint cry for help.

Holding the lantern high to illuminate as much ground as possible, she moved a little way down the passage and saw that there was somebody lying on the ground.

“Please – help me!” a young voice cried.

Now by the light of the lantern swinging in her hand she saw that it was one of the Midshipmen.

“Are you hurt?” she asked him.

“I think I have – broken my – leg.”

He spoke bravely, but she could see that there were tears of pain in his eyes.

“I was running to warn his Lordship of the fire in the engine room, as I had been ordered to do,” he said, “but I – slipped.”

“Perhaps it’s only a bad sprain,” Lydia said, “but you will have to be carried up on deck.

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