Read Online A Night of Gaiety by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Cartland
Ads: Link
right,” Lord Mundesley agreed. “I like a woman to laugh.”
A s he spoke, he turned his head to look at Davita and said:
“ I expect a great many people have told you that you have a laugh like the chime of silver bells, or perhaps like a little song-bird.”
“ Nobody has told me that before,” Davita replied with a smile, “but I am glad you do not think my laugh is like the sound of a grouse flying down the hill, or like the noise the gulls make when they come in from the sea in bad weather.”
“ I assure you that everything about you is entrancing!” Lord Mundesley said in a low voice.
D avita felt his knee pressing against hers.
O n the drive home, which was very late—in fact it was the early hours of the morning—she found it hard to stay awake.
T hey did not have a long way to go, but Lord Mundesley insisted on sitting between her and Violet on the back-seat, and to her consternation he put his arms round both of them and said:
“ Now, my sweet girls, tell me if you enjoyed this evening and how soon we can repeat it.”
“ I reckon we ought to take Rosie out with us next time,” Violet replied.
D avita had the idea that it was not something she really wanted but was an excuse to exclude herself.
T hen she thought that perhaps she was being oversensitive, but she had noticed a cold note in Violet’s voice when they had gone to the cloak-room so that she could collect her wrap before they had left the Restaurant.
“ It has been a wonderful, wonderful evening!” Davita had exclaimed.
“ I’m glad you’ve enjoyed yourself,” Violet had replied, “but you don’t want to believe everything His Lordship tells you.”
“ No, of course not,” Davita had answered, “but it was kind of him to be so polite.”
V iolet had given her a rather sharp glance and asked: “Is that what you call it?”
N ow as they drove along she suddenly said:
“ I’ve got an idea!”
“ What is it?” Lord Mundesley enquired.
“ It’s a way you can get even with the Marquis, if that’s what you want.”
“ Get even with him?” Lord Mundesley echoed. “I want to knock him down—annihilate him! I would shoot him, if it were not for the thought of facing the hangman.”
“ Then listen to me ...” Violet began.
S he put her arm round Lord Mundesley’s neck to pull his head down so that she could whisper in his ear.
D avita knew she must not listen, so she bent forward, trying to free herself from Lord Mundesley’s arm round her waist, and said to Lord William:
“ There are so many things I want to see while I am in London that I do not know where to begin.”
“ I will show you some of them with pleasure,” Lord William replied.
“ I did not mean that,” Davita said quickly. “I was just thinking that it would be very exciting to go sight-seeing, but first I have to find myself some sort of employment.”
“ Are you thinking of going on the stage with Violet?” Lord William enquired.
D avita shook her head.
“ I knew tonight it would be something I could never do. To begin with, I have no talent, and for another, it would frighten me terribly!”
“ All you have to do is to look beautiful, and that should not be difficult,” Lord William said.
“ I have no intention of going on the stage,” Davita said firmly. “There must be other things I can do.”
“ My mother was saying the other day that there are only two careers open to a lady,” Lord William replied, “either to be a Governess or a Companion.”
D avita thought that was the same idea that Mr. Stirling had suggested.
“ There must be others,” she said.
“ I expect there are,” Lord William said vaguely, “but if you ask me, you would have a far better time if George Edwardes could find a place for you.”
Davita felt there was no point in reiterating once again that she had no wish to go on the stage, but before she could speak, Lord Mundesley exclaimed:
“ My God, Violet! I believe you have
A s he spoke, he turned his head to look at Davita and said:
“ I expect a great many people have told you that you have a laugh like the chime of silver bells, or perhaps like a little song-bird.”
“ Nobody has told me that before,” Davita replied with a smile, “but I am glad you do not think my laugh is like the sound of a grouse flying down the hill, or like the noise the gulls make when they come in from the sea in bad weather.”
“ I assure you that everything about you is entrancing!” Lord Mundesley said in a low voice.
D avita felt his knee pressing against hers.
O n the drive home, which was very late—in fact it was the early hours of the morning—she found it hard to stay awake.
T hey did not have a long way to go, but Lord Mundesley insisted on sitting between her and Violet on the back-seat, and to her consternation he put his arms round both of them and said:
“ Now, my sweet girls, tell me if you enjoyed this evening and how soon we can repeat it.”
“ I reckon we ought to take Rosie out with us next time,” Violet replied.
D avita had the idea that it was not something she really wanted but was an excuse to exclude herself.
T hen she thought that perhaps she was being oversensitive, but she had noticed a cold note in Violet’s voice when they had gone to the cloak-room so that she could collect her wrap before they had left the Restaurant.
“ It has been a wonderful, wonderful evening!” Davita had exclaimed.
“ I’m glad you’ve enjoyed yourself,” Violet had replied, “but you don’t want to believe everything His Lordship tells you.”
“ No, of course not,” Davita had answered, “but it was kind of him to be so polite.”
V iolet had given her a rather sharp glance and asked: “Is that what you call it?”
N ow as they drove along she suddenly said:
“ I’ve got an idea!”
“ What is it?” Lord Mundesley enquired.
“ It’s a way you can get even with the Marquis, if that’s what you want.”
“ Get even with him?” Lord Mundesley echoed. “I want to knock him down—annihilate him! I would shoot him, if it were not for the thought of facing the hangman.”
“ Then listen to me ...” Violet began.
S he put her arm round Lord Mundesley’s neck to pull his head down so that she could whisper in his ear.
D avita knew she must not listen, so she bent forward, trying to free herself from Lord Mundesley’s arm round her waist, and said to Lord William:
“ There are so many things I want to see while I am in London that I do not know where to begin.”
“ I will show you some of them with pleasure,” Lord William replied.
“ I did not mean that,” Davita said quickly. “I was just thinking that it would be very exciting to go sight-seeing, but first I have to find myself some sort of employment.”
“ Are you thinking of going on the stage with Violet?” Lord William enquired.
D avita shook her head.
“ I knew tonight it would be something I could never do. To begin with, I have no talent, and for another, it would frighten me terribly!”
“ All you have to do is to look beautiful, and that should not be difficult,” Lord William said.
“ I have no intention of going on the stage,” Davita said firmly. “There must be other things I can do.”
“ My mother was saying the other day that there are only two careers open to a lady,” Lord William replied, “either to be a Governess or a Companion.”
D avita thought that was the same idea that Mr. Stirling had suggested.
“ There must be others,” she said.
“ I expect there are,” Lord William said vaguely, “but if you ask me, you would have a far better time if George Edwardes could find a place for you.”
Davita felt there was no point in reiterating once again that she had no wish to go on the stage, but before she could speak, Lord Mundesley exclaimed:
“ My God, Violet! I believe you have
Similar Books
