Read Online An Unexpected Love by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Cartland
Tags: romance love
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had often been in the same inebriated state after formal dinners.
Ravina had learnt from her mother that you noted, but did not comment. You just pretended that nothing had happened.
She returned to her bed, snuggling down amongst the lace, lavender-scented pillows.
She wrinkled her nose.
She might be able to ignore drunkenness in a stranger, but she had never seen her dear Papa the worse for drink and she knew she could never love a man who spent so much time in his cups.
And as she finally drifted off to sleep, she was glad that the next day Sir Richard Crawford would be gone.
*
Along the corridor, Dulcie was still awake. She had lit the oil lamp in her room and sat staring at her face in the dressing table mirror.
âWhen did I grow so old?â she murmured as she ran her fingers over her cheeks.
Even in the warm light from the lamp, she looked pale and no amount of smoothing would remove the frown line from between her brows.
She knew she had so much to be thankful for â a home, a job, food and clothing. But oh, how wearying it was to always be grateful, especially to Ravina Ashley!
Dulcie loved her cousin, but often wondered where her headstrong ways would lead her.
She pictured Ravina as she had been this evening â excited, happy, full of the joys of youth and beauty.
Ravina had never wanted for anything in her whole life. She only had to ask and it was given to her.
âAnd at the moment Ravina obviously likes Sir Michael,â Dulcie whispered and the light from the lamp blurred as tears filled her eyes.
She brushed them away impatiently. She was being silly. Why should Ravina not enjoy Sir Michaelâs company?
So what if he was considerably older than her? It would still make a good match. He was rich, she was titled and they both had social standing, loved horses and country life. What could be more suitable than a marriage between them?
Dulcie stood up wearily, blew out the lamp and climbed into bed.
She lay gazing up at the ceiling remembering the glorious day she had spent at the Priory, helping Sir Michael choose curtains for his drawing room and advising him on the pictures to be hung in the dining room.
For a few hours she had forgotten that she was Dulcie Allen, the poor relation, housekeeper and companion. She had once again been Miss Allen of the Laurels, Little Emsworthy, a girl with a loving father, a comfortable home and a future before her.
A future that had been ruined by the wicked man who had cheated her father of his money, whose name she had never known, but whose face was etched in her mind for ever.
Dulcie slid her hand up under her pillow and her fingers closed gently around a square of linen.
A gentlemanâs handkerchief, still ironed into a perfect square, that Sir Michael had used to remove a piece of grit from her eye on that memorable day.
And holding it close to her heart, she finally fell asleep.
CHAPTER FIVE
The following morning, Ravina rose early. Charity helped her into a pale blue dress laced through at the neck and cuffs with dark sapphire ribbons.
Holding back her cascading curls with another length of dark blue velvet, she finished off with small blue leather slippers.
As she walked along the corridor leading to the wide staircase, she felt happy and full of the joys a beautiful summer day can bring.
Ravina was looking forward to her breakfast and anxious to see Dulcie to arrange her visit to the Priory for lunch with Sir Michael.
Would she stay there for a few nights as he had requested?
No, she felt that would not be prudent. Her parents expected her to be here at Curbishley Hall in case there were any emergencies on the estate that only her word as an Ashley could resolve.
As she reached the stairs, she paused. She could hear voices from the hall below and stopped to peer over the banister.
To her astonishment, Sir Richard Crawford was standing talking to Nanny Johnson!
Whatever he was saying, the old lady was listening,
Ravina had learnt from her mother that you noted, but did not comment. You just pretended that nothing had happened.
She returned to her bed, snuggling down amongst the lace, lavender-scented pillows.
She wrinkled her nose.
She might be able to ignore drunkenness in a stranger, but she had never seen her dear Papa the worse for drink and she knew she could never love a man who spent so much time in his cups.
And as she finally drifted off to sleep, she was glad that the next day Sir Richard Crawford would be gone.
*
Along the corridor, Dulcie was still awake. She had lit the oil lamp in her room and sat staring at her face in the dressing table mirror.
âWhen did I grow so old?â she murmured as she ran her fingers over her cheeks.
Even in the warm light from the lamp, she looked pale and no amount of smoothing would remove the frown line from between her brows.
She knew she had so much to be thankful for â a home, a job, food and clothing. But oh, how wearying it was to always be grateful, especially to Ravina Ashley!
Dulcie loved her cousin, but often wondered where her headstrong ways would lead her.
She pictured Ravina as she had been this evening â excited, happy, full of the joys of youth and beauty.
Ravina had never wanted for anything in her whole life. She only had to ask and it was given to her.
âAnd at the moment Ravina obviously likes Sir Michael,â Dulcie whispered and the light from the lamp blurred as tears filled her eyes.
She brushed them away impatiently. She was being silly. Why should Ravina not enjoy Sir Michaelâs company?
So what if he was considerably older than her? It would still make a good match. He was rich, she was titled and they both had social standing, loved horses and country life. What could be more suitable than a marriage between them?
Dulcie stood up wearily, blew out the lamp and climbed into bed.
She lay gazing up at the ceiling remembering the glorious day she had spent at the Priory, helping Sir Michael choose curtains for his drawing room and advising him on the pictures to be hung in the dining room.
For a few hours she had forgotten that she was Dulcie Allen, the poor relation, housekeeper and companion. She had once again been Miss Allen of the Laurels, Little Emsworthy, a girl with a loving father, a comfortable home and a future before her.
A future that had been ruined by the wicked man who had cheated her father of his money, whose name she had never known, but whose face was etched in her mind for ever.
Dulcie slid her hand up under her pillow and her fingers closed gently around a square of linen.
A gentlemanâs handkerchief, still ironed into a perfect square, that Sir Michael had used to remove a piece of grit from her eye on that memorable day.
And holding it close to her heart, she finally fell asleep.
CHAPTER FIVE
The following morning, Ravina rose early. Charity helped her into a pale blue dress laced through at the neck and cuffs with dark sapphire ribbons.
Holding back her cascading curls with another length of dark blue velvet, she finished off with small blue leather slippers.
As she walked along the corridor leading to the wide staircase, she felt happy and full of the joys a beautiful summer day can bring.
Ravina was looking forward to her breakfast and anxious to see Dulcie to arrange her visit to the Priory for lunch with Sir Michael.
Would she stay there for a few nights as he had requested?
No, she felt that would not be prudent. Her parents expected her to be here at Curbishley Hall in case there were any emergencies on the estate that only her word as an Ashley could resolve.
As she reached the stairs, she paused. She could hear voices from the hall below and stopped to peer over the banister.
To her astonishment, Sir Richard Crawford was standing talking to Nanny Johnson!
Whatever he was saying, the old lady was listening,
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