Read Online 106. Love's Dream in Peril by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Cartland
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a gentleman on a tall black horse sped past the landau and came to a sudden halt just in front of it.
“Whoa, there!” Jim called, steadying the ponies, who were eyeing the spirited horse with alarm.
Adella adjusted her parasol, so that the gentleman should not see her face.
“Please, Jim! Let’s go back at once.”
“Of course, miss.” Jim replied and pulled the reins to turn the ponies’ heads.
“Wait!” An imperious voice called out.
The rider of the black horse had turned back and was now by the side of the landau.
“Miss May, isn’t it?”
There was something strangely familiar about the man’s deep voice.
“Miss May?”
She could not continue to ignore him. Reluctantly, Adella raised her parasol so that she could see him.
“So it is you!” A young man with strong features and black hair was gazing intently at her with glowing dark eyes.
It was Digby’s friend from Oxford.
“Lord Ranulph Fowles, at your service,” he said. “Surely you remember me?”
“Yes, of course,” Adella replied, her voice feeling very tight in her throat. “How do you do?”
She longed more than anything to put her parasol up again and shut him out, for the way that he was looking at her made her feel most uncomfortable.
He gave a little laugh.
“I would hardly have recognised you, Miss May, if it had not been for those stray curls that are escaping from your hat. I should have known that glorious golden hair anywhere!”
Adella felt her cheeks grow warm as she recalled the moment when her hair had tumbled over her shoulders, as Lord Ranulph rode past in that leafy street in Oxford.
It did not seem quite gentlemanly of him to remind her of that right here in London, with the cream of Society passing back and forth along Rotten Row in their carriages.
“If you will excuse me, Lord Ranulph, I must return home at once.”
“May I ride with you?” he asked.
“No, please, if you will excuse me.”
He reached out and caught the side of the landau with his strong hand.
“Miss May, you don’t seem – is anything wrong?”
“Not at all. Please excuse me, I really must go.”
“Miss May, can I ask why you were hiding behind your parasol when I saw you? I thought for a moment that you did not wish to speak to me.”
“No, no, of course not.” Adella tried to smile and wished that he would go away.
Jim, at long last, was urging the ponies homeward, but Lord Ranulph was still beside her, holding back his proud thoroughbred to match their slow pace.
“Miss May, something is troubling you,” he tried again. “You are not at all yourself.”
As he spoke, the woman on the grey horse who had made the remark about the circus cantered past again.
“Oh, look! Our Cinderella of the circus has found a beau to ride beside her,” she called out to her companion, flicking her whip at the ponies. “Trot on, little mice!” she laughed, as she rode away.
Lord Ranulph raised his hat to her.
“Lady Ireton!” he said. “Good morning.” Then he turned to Adella, adding, “what a horsewoman!”
“It’s a shame her manners don’t match her skills on horseback,” Adella said, her cheeks burning from the jibe.
Lord Ranulph looked closely at her.
“Miss May. You are upset!”
To her horror Adella found that tears were welling up in her eyes.
“Lady Ireton is well known in Society for her wit! I am sure that she meant no harm by her remark,” Lord Ranulph tried to soothe her.
“It was not kind of her to make fun of Sugar and Spice,” Adella asserted, trying to sound calm.
“Is that their names? How charming. Well, they are perhaps a rather unusual sight on the Row. Maybe more suitable for the Fairy Queen’s walnut shell coach or Cinderella’s pumpkin! But very charming nonetheless.”
Adella said nothing and glanced at Lord Ranulph. His expression was perfectly serious and he did not seem to be laughing at her as he soothed his restless horse, which was tossing his head and fretting to
“Whoa, there!” Jim called, steadying the ponies, who were eyeing the spirited horse with alarm.
Adella adjusted her parasol, so that the gentleman should not see her face.
“Please, Jim! Let’s go back at once.”
“Of course, miss.” Jim replied and pulled the reins to turn the ponies’ heads.
“Wait!” An imperious voice called out.
The rider of the black horse had turned back and was now by the side of the landau.
“Miss May, isn’t it?”
There was something strangely familiar about the man’s deep voice.
“Miss May?”
She could not continue to ignore him. Reluctantly, Adella raised her parasol so that she could see him.
“So it is you!” A young man with strong features and black hair was gazing intently at her with glowing dark eyes.
It was Digby’s friend from Oxford.
“Lord Ranulph Fowles, at your service,” he said. “Surely you remember me?”
“Yes, of course,” Adella replied, her voice feeling very tight in her throat. “How do you do?”
She longed more than anything to put her parasol up again and shut him out, for the way that he was looking at her made her feel most uncomfortable.
He gave a little laugh.
“I would hardly have recognised you, Miss May, if it had not been for those stray curls that are escaping from your hat. I should have known that glorious golden hair anywhere!”
Adella felt her cheeks grow warm as she recalled the moment when her hair had tumbled over her shoulders, as Lord Ranulph rode past in that leafy street in Oxford.
It did not seem quite gentlemanly of him to remind her of that right here in London, with the cream of Society passing back and forth along Rotten Row in their carriages.
“If you will excuse me, Lord Ranulph, I must return home at once.”
“May I ride with you?” he asked.
“No, please, if you will excuse me.”
He reached out and caught the side of the landau with his strong hand.
“Miss May, you don’t seem – is anything wrong?”
“Not at all. Please excuse me, I really must go.”
“Miss May, can I ask why you were hiding behind your parasol when I saw you? I thought for a moment that you did not wish to speak to me.”
“No, no, of course not.” Adella tried to smile and wished that he would go away.
Jim, at long last, was urging the ponies homeward, but Lord Ranulph was still beside her, holding back his proud thoroughbred to match their slow pace.
“Miss May, something is troubling you,” he tried again. “You are not at all yourself.”
As he spoke, the woman on the grey horse who had made the remark about the circus cantered past again.
“Oh, look! Our Cinderella of the circus has found a beau to ride beside her,” she called out to her companion, flicking her whip at the ponies. “Trot on, little mice!” she laughed, as she rode away.
Lord Ranulph raised his hat to her.
“Lady Ireton!” he said. “Good morning.” Then he turned to Adella, adding, “what a horsewoman!”
“It’s a shame her manners don’t match her skills on horseback,” Adella said, her cheeks burning from the jibe.
Lord Ranulph looked closely at her.
“Miss May. You are upset!”
To her horror Adella found that tears were welling up in her eyes.
“Lady Ireton is well known in Society for her wit! I am sure that she meant no harm by her remark,” Lord Ranulph tried to soothe her.
“It was not kind of her to make fun of Sugar and Spice,” Adella asserted, trying to sound calm.
“Is that their names? How charming. Well, they are perhaps a rather unusual sight on the Row. Maybe more suitable for the Fairy Queen’s walnut shell coach or Cinderella’s pumpkin! But very charming nonetheless.”
Adella said nothing and glanced at Lord Ranulph. His expression was perfectly serious and he did not seem to be laughing at her as he soothed his restless horse, which was tossing his head and fretting to
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