Read Online A Kiss from the Heart by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online Page A

placatory. “I have an appointment at my Club.”
    â€œOh,” she remarked flatly.
    She rose and moved close to him – close enough, should he desire, for him to tilt the pointed chin and kiss the red lips that he knew would not resist his.
    â€œI do apologise for terminating my visit to you so abruptly,” he continued. “I had not realised the time.”
    He gave a thin smile and hoped she would not take offence. After all he could not forget that his mother was friendly with her aunt.
    She turned her face up to his in expectation. There was a tense pause and then he took her hand and kissed it. He could see that she was now disappointed that he had not taken what was so freely offered, but the consequences of trifling with Miss de Montfort were far greater than any of his other dalliances.
    He bowed and returned her hand to her side. She immediately placed her other hand over it, so as to feel the warmth and moisture left by his lips.
    Turning she walked towards the servants’ bell and rang for Morton.
    â€œI cannot hide that I am disappointed you cannot stay a while longer,” she said, as they waited for Morton to appear with the Earl’s hat. “But perhaps we will chance upon each other again soon?”
    â€œYes, that would be most agreeable,” he replied, placing his hat on his head quite firmly.
    With a short bow he took his leave and bade her farewell. He did not look back as he did not wish to see her in tears. And he felt instinctively that she would weep as soon as he had left.
    Upon returning home Hiscock presented him with a letter that had arrived in his absence.
    As soon as he glimpsed the flowery hand, he knew who it was from.
    â€œConstance,” he sighed, as he threw himself down onto the sofa in the bright drawing room.
    He held the letter and then pulled it open.
    â€œ Dearest Robert, ” it read. “ I have to see you! We cannot leave things as they are – ”
    Without reading the rest, he crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it on to the floor.
    â€œDamn all women!” he spat with a furious curl of his lip.
    *
    The Earl spent the next few days feeling as if he was the quarry for a hunt organised by all the women in his life. Instead of going out carousing he spent much of his time closeted indoors away from the hurly-burly outside.
    He gave Hiscock strict instructions that he was not at home especially to any lady callers, and he ignored the flurry of letters bearing feminine handwriting that dropped constantly through the letterbox.
    Then one morning at breakfast, there came a fateful missive that caused the Countess to drop her cereal spoon with a clatter.
    â€œ No !” she cried with a low moan.
    â€œMama, what is it?”
    â€œIt is Alec. He has fallen off a horse and broken his leg! Darling, we must both go at once to Ledbury Hall!”
    Inwardly the Earl groaned.
    â€˜Blast Alec!’ he cursed as he tried to comfort his mother.
    He rang for Hiscock and told him they would be returning to Worcestershire and everything should be made ready for the journey.
    His mother looked up at him gratefully and patted his hand affectionately.
    An hour later the carriage stood waiting outside the front of Brook Street.
    â€œAre you certain you have packed the ledgers?” the Countess asked Hiscock breathlessly as he helped her into the carriage.
    â€œYes, my Lady. They are all quite safe in the black box as you requested.”
    â€œAnd you will close down the house until you hear from us?”
    â€œYes, my Lady.”
    At last the Earl appeared by the carriage door and thanked Hiscock for his prompt attention to duty.
    â€œI shall not be staying long,” he said in a low voice, so that his mother would not hear. “I intend to return as soon as Alec is on the mend.”
    â€œVery good, my Lord. The house is in safe hands.”
    For the first twenty or so miles the Countess sat in a miserable