Read Online A Flight To Heaven by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Cartland
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felt the cool breeze on her face as they flew forward towards a copse of trees.
“Oh, this is so lovely!” she cried out and Erebus flicked his little white ears back at the sound of her voice.
Suddenly a cock pheasant ran out from the trees, flapping its wings wildly and then darted right in front of Erebus.
The pony jumped sideways and Chiara felt the reins slip through her fingers as he leapt into a gallop, heading for the main gates that led out of the Park onto the road.
*
Arkady had lost all sense of time.
He was having a glorious afternoon, now that he had finally mastered the difficult art of staying upright on the bicycle and he sped along deserted lanes that wound their way between green fields until he had lost all sense of direction.
He had absolutely no idea how to get back to the King’s country house at Sandringham and he did not care.
He was free and he wanted to keep going on and on as fast as he could.
After a while, much to his annoyance, the lane that he was bicycling along grew narrow and overgrown and turned into a rutted cart track.
But still he did not feel like turning back, so he dismounted and walked on, wheeling the bicycle, until the track emerged among sandy hillocks with tall pine trees growing on them.
Arkady climbed to the top of one of the hillocks and caught his breath in astonishment.
Stretching out in front of him there was mile upon mile of glowing golden sands and beyond them, the silvery shimmer of water.
He had reached the sea.
He laid the bicycle down and sat beside it, gazing at the expanse of beauty that lay before him.
The wind blowing off the sea was cold and so he unrolled the old coat that was strapped onto the back of the bicycle and pushed his arms through the tattered sleeves.
The beach was deserted, except for a few seagulls and he sat for a long time, staring out to sea and thinking of his homeland, until the sky began to turn pink.
*
Erebus’s hooves clattered as he raced along the open road and Chiara soon gave up her efforts to stop him, as her arms were aching and something in her heart longed to just let go and let him carry her wherever he liked.
Soon she realised that Erebus was heading for the beach and for the vast expanse of smooth sand where in the past they had shared so many wonderful gallops.
As they clambered down the dunes onto the beach, Erebus paused for a moment to catch his breath and then he was off again, his hooves drumming over the wet sand.
Chiara cried out for joy, as it was like flying to go so fast, with the wind whistling in her hair and tugging at her silk dress.
It was as if at any moment now they would be lifted up and borne away into the glorious evening sky that was just beginning to show the first rosy tints of sunset.
Erebus ran and ran, until at last he began to tire and his legs began to falter.
“Come now, we must turn back,” Chiara called out to him, patting his shoulder as he slowed to a walk.
A cold wind was now blowing off the sea and she shivered, because her dress was wet where salt water had splashed up from Erebus’s hooves.
And then a different kind of chill struck her, as a tall ragged-looking, dark-haired stranger was walking now towards them across the sand.
“I thought there was no one here!” she whispered, feeling exposed and vulnerable in her thin dress as the odd figure drew nearer.
Who was he? And what reason did he have to be here in this lonely place?
Now he was quite close and looking up at her with a mysterious expression in his dark eyes.
“ Madamoiselle ,” he now began in a deep voice. “I thought your little horse had wings and I was waiting for you both to fly away, but you have come down to earth!”
Chiara dug her heels into Erebus’s sides urging him to move on, but he stood stock still, staring at the stranger.
The man remained where he was, a little smile on his face.
“Who – who are you?” she asked, looking at the ragged dirty coat he wore. “Surely
“Oh, this is so lovely!” she cried out and Erebus flicked his little white ears back at the sound of her voice.
Suddenly a cock pheasant ran out from the trees, flapping its wings wildly and then darted right in front of Erebus.
The pony jumped sideways and Chiara felt the reins slip through her fingers as he leapt into a gallop, heading for the main gates that led out of the Park onto the road.
*
Arkady had lost all sense of time.
He was having a glorious afternoon, now that he had finally mastered the difficult art of staying upright on the bicycle and he sped along deserted lanes that wound their way between green fields until he had lost all sense of direction.
He had absolutely no idea how to get back to the King’s country house at Sandringham and he did not care.
He was free and he wanted to keep going on and on as fast as he could.
After a while, much to his annoyance, the lane that he was bicycling along grew narrow and overgrown and turned into a rutted cart track.
But still he did not feel like turning back, so he dismounted and walked on, wheeling the bicycle, until the track emerged among sandy hillocks with tall pine trees growing on them.
Arkady climbed to the top of one of the hillocks and caught his breath in astonishment.
Stretching out in front of him there was mile upon mile of glowing golden sands and beyond them, the silvery shimmer of water.
He had reached the sea.
He laid the bicycle down and sat beside it, gazing at the expanse of beauty that lay before him.
The wind blowing off the sea was cold and so he unrolled the old coat that was strapped onto the back of the bicycle and pushed his arms through the tattered sleeves.
The beach was deserted, except for a few seagulls and he sat for a long time, staring out to sea and thinking of his homeland, until the sky began to turn pink.
*
Erebus’s hooves clattered as he raced along the open road and Chiara soon gave up her efforts to stop him, as her arms were aching and something in her heart longed to just let go and let him carry her wherever he liked.
Soon she realised that Erebus was heading for the beach and for the vast expanse of smooth sand where in the past they had shared so many wonderful gallops.
As they clambered down the dunes onto the beach, Erebus paused for a moment to catch his breath and then he was off again, his hooves drumming over the wet sand.
Chiara cried out for joy, as it was like flying to go so fast, with the wind whistling in her hair and tugging at her silk dress.
It was as if at any moment now they would be lifted up and borne away into the glorious evening sky that was just beginning to show the first rosy tints of sunset.
Erebus ran and ran, until at last he began to tire and his legs began to falter.
“Come now, we must turn back,” Chiara called out to him, patting his shoulder as he slowed to a walk.
A cold wind was now blowing off the sea and she shivered, because her dress was wet where salt water had splashed up from Erebus’s hooves.
And then a different kind of chill struck her, as a tall ragged-looking, dark-haired stranger was walking now towards them across the sand.
“I thought there was no one here!” she whispered, feeling exposed and vulnerable in her thin dress as the odd figure drew nearer.
Who was he? And what reason did he have to be here in this lonely place?
Now he was quite close and looking up at her with a mysterious expression in his dark eyes.
“ Madamoiselle ,” he now began in a deep voice. “I thought your little horse had wings and I was waiting for you both to fly away, but you have come down to earth!”
Chiara dug her heels into Erebus’s sides urging him to move on, but he stood stock still, staring at the stranger.
The man remained where he was, a little smile on his face.
“Who – who are you?” she asked, looking at the ragged dirty coat he wore. “Surely
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