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Authors: Barbara Cartland
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somewhere came the sound of an accordion.
"You get a trip up the Thames, supper and a little dancing," said the Duke. "And you'll also meet the real Londoners, because these aren't the kind of people we normally share our pleasures with."
He was right. They were not aristocrats, Ola realised, but shopkeepers and servants. They had worked hard all day, and now they were getting ready to play hard. They looked friendly and happy, and suddenly she longed to be one of them.
"Come on," she said, seizing his hand.
They were the last on board. Then the gang plank was pulled up, the propellers whirred, and they were away, heading down river.
All the tables were taken, and many people were milling around eating from a buffet. The head waiter looked nervously at the Duke's elegant clothes, recognising 'the quality'.
"I'll get you a table straight away, sir" he said.
"No, let's stand," said Ola. "I eat just as well on my feet."
"We'll stand," said the Duke with a grin.
They took wine and rolls, went to an upper deck, and stood watching the sun begin to set, while the breeze blew gently round them.
"The perfect end to the perfect day," Ola said contentedly.
"Has it really been a perfect day, Ola?"
"The most perfect of my life."
"And mine," he said. "Because it was spent with you. If only – "
"If only - ?"
He tossed his roll into the water, where it was seized on by seagulls.
"Have you even been in love?" he asked suddenly.
"No." She shook her head.
"That's what I was hoping you would say. And yet – " he sighed. "There is so much that I want to say to you, and yet I can't. If only we weren't – the people that we are."
Now would be a good moment to tell him the truth, she thought.
"John – "
He gave her a quick smile.
"I like to hear you use my name. The others call me Duke, or Camborne, but my name is John, and that's how I like to be with you. Just a man and a woman."
She remembered how he'd said women pursued him for his title, and suddenly she saw the trap she was in. He trusted her to see him as a man because he thought she had a title higher than his own. But if he knew the truth – would he cease to trust her?
A moment ago she had meant to tell him everything, but now the words died unspoken.
"Just a man and a woman," she repeated. "That is all I want us to be."
"I love you," he said.
Her heart soared.
"I love you," she told him. "I barely know you, and yet I love you."
He touched her face. "We have known each other since the beginning of time."
"And we shall know each other until the end of eternity," she whispered.
Strangely, it seemed that a look of uncertainty passed across his face. He looked down at her hand lying in his, then slowly raised it to his lips.
"I will never forget this moment as long as I live," he said. "Nor shall I cease to treasure it."
Somehow it wasn't quite what she had expected him to say, and she knew a flutter of unease. But surely that was nonsense. He loved her. How could anything be wrong?
CHAPTER FIVE
They sat by the rail for what seemed like hours, watching darkness come down on the river, too happy to speak.
On the way back someone started playing the accordion again, and there was dancing. Laughing, they went to the lower deck and danced until they were giddy. The whole world seemed to be whirling around Ola.
And suddenly she was not dancing any more, but was in his arms, his mouth on hers, and he was kissing her urgently. Between kisses he murmured, "My love, my love."
"My love," she whispered back. "Oh John –
John – "
"Tell me that you love me," he begged.
"I love you, I love you."
"Promise me that you'll always remember tonight, and remember that I loved you. Promise me that whatever happens, you'll remember this."
"Why, what a strange thing to say."
"Promise me."
"I promise, I promise."
All too soon it seemed that the boat was tying up at the dock where they had boarded. They found another cab and he gave the driver the address of Ola's
"You get a trip up the Thames, supper and a little dancing," said the Duke. "And you'll also meet the real Londoners, because these aren't the kind of people we normally share our pleasures with."
He was right. They were not aristocrats, Ola realised, but shopkeepers and servants. They had worked hard all day, and now they were getting ready to play hard. They looked friendly and happy, and suddenly she longed to be one of them.
"Come on," she said, seizing his hand.
They were the last on board. Then the gang plank was pulled up, the propellers whirred, and they were away, heading down river.
All the tables were taken, and many people were milling around eating from a buffet. The head waiter looked nervously at the Duke's elegant clothes, recognising 'the quality'.
"I'll get you a table straight away, sir" he said.
"No, let's stand," said Ola. "I eat just as well on my feet."
"We'll stand," said the Duke with a grin.
They took wine and rolls, went to an upper deck, and stood watching the sun begin to set, while the breeze blew gently round them.
"The perfect end to the perfect day," Ola said contentedly.
"Has it really been a perfect day, Ola?"
"The most perfect of my life."
"And mine," he said. "Because it was spent with you. If only – "
"If only - ?"
He tossed his roll into the water, where it was seized on by seagulls.
"Have you even been in love?" he asked suddenly.
"No." She shook her head.
"That's what I was hoping you would say. And yet – " he sighed. "There is so much that I want to say to you, and yet I can't. If only we weren't – the people that we are."
Now would be a good moment to tell him the truth, she thought.
"John – "
He gave her a quick smile.
"I like to hear you use my name. The others call me Duke, or Camborne, but my name is John, and that's how I like to be with you. Just a man and a woman."
She remembered how he'd said women pursued him for his title, and suddenly she saw the trap she was in. He trusted her to see him as a man because he thought she had a title higher than his own. But if he knew the truth – would he cease to trust her?
A moment ago she had meant to tell him everything, but now the words died unspoken.
"Just a man and a woman," she repeated. "That is all I want us to be."
"I love you," he said.
Her heart soared.
"I love you," she told him. "I barely know you, and yet I love you."
He touched her face. "We have known each other since the beginning of time."
"And we shall know each other until the end of eternity," she whispered.
Strangely, it seemed that a look of uncertainty passed across his face. He looked down at her hand lying in his, then slowly raised it to his lips.
"I will never forget this moment as long as I live," he said. "Nor shall I cease to treasure it."
Somehow it wasn't quite what she had expected him to say, and she knew a flutter of unease. But surely that was nonsense. He loved her. How could anything be wrong?
CHAPTER FIVE
They sat by the rail for what seemed like hours, watching darkness come down on the river, too happy to speak.
On the way back someone started playing the accordion again, and there was dancing. Laughing, they went to the lower deck and danced until they were giddy. The whole world seemed to be whirling around Ola.
And suddenly she was not dancing any more, but was in his arms, his mouth on hers, and he was kissing her urgently. Between kisses he murmured, "My love, my love."
"My love," she whispered back. "Oh John –
John – "
"Tell me that you love me," he begged.
"I love you, I love you."
"Promise me that you'll always remember tonight, and remember that I loved you. Promise me that whatever happens, you'll remember this."
"Why, what a strange thing to say."
"Promise me."
"I promise, I promise."
All too soon it seemed that the boat was tying up at the dock where they had boarded. They found another cab and he gave the driver the address of Ola's
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