Read Online 104. A Heart Finds Love by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Cartland
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think it important. Yet when they marry it should be the man himself who counts and not that he has or has not a title to his name.”
“If they are honest,” William replied, “most women dream that a Duke will drop down the chimney and ask them to be his wife. They are therefore disappointed when he is just Mr. Snooks or Captain Know-all!”
Alnina laughed.
“You are funny, but it’s true. Yet I don’t believe that all women are so avaricious.”
As William was silent, she went on,
“Personally I think that if I was married to someone very grand, it would be such a bore to entertain people who came not because they were real friends, but because they wanted to say they had dined with the Duke of ‘This’ or the Earl of ‘That’.”
William was amused and responded,
“You are different from most people. But I have never found a woman yet who was not anxious to have a title and go into dinner in front of her friends.”
“Well, now you have met me,” Alnina said. “I can assure you that when I marry it will not be because the man in question is important, even if he is the King of Sheba. It will be because I love him and he loves me.”
“That is exactly what you should feel, but I cannot believe that dressed up as you are now you will not expect a God from Olympus or perhaps an archangel from Heaven to be kneeling at your feet.”
Alnina walked towards the door, saying,
“Now you are putting ideas into my head. So I am going to change and just be a plain young woman who has no aspirations beyond paying her brother’s debts.”
She had gone before William could think of a reply, but he was chuckling as he packed up his camera.
He was reflecting that Miss Lester was far more amusing than most young women he had met and she was certainly different from any debutantes who giggled when he spoke to them and had nothing to say for themselves.
The Duke came down first and found William in the study.
“I hope,” he said, “those pictures are good. You have certainly taken a great deal of trouble over them.”
“They will be fantastic. I can promise you that. I will have them developed and printed off by the day after tomorrow.”
“Then we can start to make our plans as to when we can leave for Georgia,” the Duke said with satisfaction.
“There is one thing that is worrying me, John.”
“What is that, William?”
“If you really buy this mountain on which you have set your heart, how are you going to give your orders to the men who will be working for you?”
The Duke looked at him.
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.
“Well, neither of us speaks Russian and, although the Prince speaks French, as do all aristocratic Russians, the workers will speak only Russian and not particularly cultured Russian at that.”
“I suppose I will have an overseer and someone in charge who will give them their orders,” the Duke replied. “And, of course, once it has been organised, you and I can go back to England or anywhere else we fancy and merely pick up the gold on our return.”
“That all sounds very easy, but you know that in Georgia, as in Russia, you cannot trust anyone unless you are there yourself giving the orders.”
He saw that the Duke was listening and went on,
“You are going to find it hard to find an overseer who is honest and also speaks French and will not put your gold into his own pocket.”
There was silence and then the Duke said,
“You always produce the most irritating stumbling blocks when I least expect them. Of course you are right, but I suppose with my usual good luck I will find someone I can trust and hope for the best.”
“If you ask me, that is not good enough,” William answered. “Before we go and buy this ridiculous mountain you have set your heart on, we must both learn Russian.”
The Duke laughed.
“I wonder how long it would take us. It’s the most ghastly language I have met on my travels. If you recall, when we were in Tiflis
“If they are honest,” William replied, “most women dream that a Duke will drop down the chimney and ask them to be his wife. They are therefore disappointed when he is just Mr. Snooks or Captain Know-all!”
Alnina laughed.
“You are funny, but it’s true. Yet I don’t believe that all women are so avaricious.”
As William was silent, she went on,
“Personally I think that if I was married to someone very grand, it would be such a bore to entertain people who came not because they were real friends, but because they wanted to say they had dined with the Duke of ‘This’ or the Earl of ‘That’.”
William was amused and responded,
“You are different from most people. But I have never found a woman yet who was not anxious to have a title and go into dinner in front of her friends.”
“Well, now you have met me,” Alnina said. “I can assure you that when I marry it will not be because the man in question is important, even if he is the King of Sheba. It will be because I love him and he loves me.”
“That is exactly what you should feel, but I cannot believe that dressed up as you are now you will not expect a God from Olympus or perhaps an archangel from Heaven to be kneeling at your feet.”
Alnina walked towards the door, saying,
“Now you are putting ideas into my head. So I am going to change and just be a plain young woman who has no aspirations beyond paying her brother’s debts.”
She had gone before William could think of a reply, but he was chuckling as he packed up his camera.
He was reflecting that Miss Lester was far more amusing than most young women he had met and she was certainly different from any debutantes who giggled when he spoke to them and had nothing to say for themselves.
The Duke came down first and found William in the study.
“I hope,” he said, “those pictures are good. You have certainly taken a great deal of trouble over them.”
“They will be fantastic. I can promise you that. I will have them developed and printed off by the day after tomorrow.”
“Then we can start to make our plans as to when we can leave for Georgia,” the Duke said with satisfaction.
“There is one thing that is worrying me, John.”
“What is that, William?”
“If you really buy this mountain on which you have set your heart, how are you going to give your orders to the men who will be working for you?”
The Duke looked at him.
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.
“Well, neither of us speaks Russian and, although the Prince speaks French, as do all aristocratic Russians, the workers will speak only Russian and not particularly cultured Russian at that.”
“I suppose I will have an overseer and someone in charge who will give them their orders,” the Duke replied. “And, of course, once it has been organised, you and I can go back to England or anywhere else we fancy and merely pick up the gold on our return.”
“That all sounds very easy, but you know that in Georgia, as in Russia, you cannot trust anyone unless you are there yourself giving the orders.”
He saw that the Duke was listening and went on,
“You are going to find it hard to find an overseer who is honest and also speaks French and will not put your gold into his own pocket.”
There was silence and then the Duke said,
“You always produce the most irritating stumbling blocks when I least expect them. Of course you are right, but I suppose with my usual good luck I will find someone I can trust and hope for the best.”
“If you ask me, that is not good enough,” William answered. “Before we go and buy this ridiculous mountain you have set your heart on, we must both learn Russian.”
The Duke laughed.
“I wonder how long it would take us. It’s the most ghastly language I have met on my travels. If you recall, when we were in Tiflis
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