Read Online Love and the Loathsome Leopard by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Cartland
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it!” Richard cried.
“If you find me a map, I will try to explain to you exactly what happened.”
“We have no map here, not a good one anyway,” Richard replied, “but the Vicar has one. I will borrow it from him tomorrow and, when I come back after my lessons, you can show me exactly how you defeated the French.”
“That is something I shall be delighted to do,” Lord Cheriton replied, “if I am still here.”
“You must be! You must. I shall never have an opportunity again of talking to a soldier who was actually in that battle.”
“I feel you will meet a great many soldiers in the future, who fought not only in that battle but a large number of others,” Lord Cheriton replied. “Unfortunately, now that there is peace, they will be out of a job.”
“But they will not come here,” Richard said, “they will not be allowed to. So promise you will stay until I can get hold of a map.”
“I think the answer to that depends on your sister,” Lord Cheriton replied, “but may I say that I am very comfortable, and it is a treat to sleep in a house instead of a tent and, let me add, to enjoy a well cooked meal.”
“Then that settles it!” Richard cried. “You must stay, of course you must. Tell him so, Wivina!”
Lord Cheriton saw the worry and apprehension in her eyes but he had the feeling it was not on her own account that she wished him to go.
“I am glad you are comfortable, Captain Bradleigh,” she said in a low voice.
She rose and added:
“I think I should withdraw and leave you gentlemen alone.”
Lord Cheriton rose to his feet and after a second Richard followed his example. Then after Wivina had left the room and he had closed the door behind her, Lord Cheriton sat down again at the table.
There was a little claret left and he gave some to Richard and the greater part to himself, thinking that Wivina would not wish her brother to drink heavily.
“Your sister is a very remarkable young woman!” he said aloud.
“She gets upset and frightened over things,” Richard replied, “but I suppose all women are the same.”
“That is why it is important for you to look after her and protect her,” Lord Cheriton remarked.
Richard looked surprised.
“I imagine, now that your father is dead,” Lord Cheriton went on, “that you are the head of the family. It is therefore up to you to take care of your sister and above all not to force her into marriage unless she is in love with the man in question.”
“If she does not marry Farlow, what will happen to us?” Richard asked almost sulkily.
“If you are thinking of his sending you to Oxford,” Lord Cheriton said, “I am sure that you are quite capable of getting there on your own.”
“How can I possibly do that?”
“You could win a scholarship.”
“The Vicar has spoken of that, but I would have to journey to Oxford and I have no money.”
Richard paused and then he said,
“I suppose I could borrow it from Farlow, in which case I might as well let him pay the fee and have done with it.”
“From all I have heard you saying about this man Farlow, you have no particular liking for him,” Lord Cheriton said slowly. “I hardly think it wise or in fact decent to accept his money or anything else.”
Richard looked startled.
“You see,” Lord. Cheriton went on, “one never gets anything for nothing in this world. One always has to pay sooner or later. Quite frankly, I should have thought that to make your sister sacrifice herself by marrying a man she dislikes, and of whom she is afraid, is a very high price to pay for your own personal gratification.”
He had meant to startle Richard and he succeeded.
He had learnt in dealing with men that to be brutally frank was one way of jolting them into looking at the truth honestly and without clarification.
“I did not think of it like that,” Richard said after a moment.
“Well, think of it now!”Lord Cheriton said sternly.
“We have no money, except for a
“If you find me a map, I will try to explain to you exactly what happened.”
“We have no map here, not a good one anyway,” Richard replied, “but the Vicar has one. I will borrow it from him tomorrow and, when I come back after my lessons, you can show me exactly how you defeated the French.”
“That is something I shall be delighted to do,” Lord Cheriton replied, “if I am still here.”
“You must be! You must. I shall never have an opportunity again of talking to a soldier who was actually in that battle.”
“I feel you will meet a great many soldiers in the future, who fought not only in that battle but a large number of others,” Lord Cheriton replied. “Unfortunately, now that there is peace, they will be out of a job.”
“But they will not come here,” Richard said, “they will not be allowed to. So promise you will stay until I can get hold of a map.”
“I think the answer to that depends on your sister,” Lord Cheriton replied, “but may I say that I am very comfortable, and it is a treat to sleep in a house instead of a tent and, let me add, to enjoy a well cooked meal.”
“Then that settles it!” Richard cried. “You must stay, of course you must. Tell him so, Wivina!”
Lord Cheriton saw the worry and apprehension in her eyes but he had the feeling it was not on her own account that she wished him to go.
“I am glad you are comfortable, Captain Bradleigh,” she said in a low voice.
She rose and added:
“I think I should withdraw and leave you gentlemen alone.”
Lord Cheriton rose to his feet and after a second Richard followed his example. Then after Wivina had left the room and he had closed the door behind her, Lord Cheriton sat down again at the table.
There was a little claret left and he gave some to Richard and the greater part to himself, thinking that Wivina would not wish her brother to drink heavily.
“Your sister is a very remarkable young woman!” he said aloud.
“She gets upset and frightened over things,” Richard replied, “but I suppose all women are the same.”
“That is why it is important for you to look after her and protect her,” Lord Cheriton remarked.
Richard looked surprised.
“I imagine, now that your father is dead,” Lord Cheriton went on, “that you are the head of the family. It is therefore up to you to take care of your sister and above all not to force her into marriage unless she is in love with the man in question.”
“If she does not marry Farlow, what will happen to us?” Richard asked almost sulkily.
“If you are thinking of his sending you to Oxford,” Lord Cheriton said, “I am sure that you are quite capable of getting there on your own.”
“How can I possibly do that?”
“You could win a scholarship.”
“The Vicar has spoken of that, but I would have to journey to Oxford and I have no money.”
Richard paused and then he said,
“I suppose I could borrow it from Farlow, in which case I might as well let him pay the fee and have done with it.”
“From all I have heard you saying about this man Farlow, you have no particular liking for him,” Lord Cheriton said slowly. “I hardly think it wise or in fact decent to accept his money or anything else.”
Richard looked startled.
“You see,” Lord. Cheriton went on, “one never gets anything for nothing in this world. One always has to pay sooner or later. Quite frankly, I should have thought that to make your sister sacrifice herself by marrying a man she dislikes, and of whom she is afraid, is a very high price to pay for your own personal gratification.”
He had meant to startle Richard and he succeeded.
He had learnt in dealing with men that to be brutally frank was one way of jolting them into looking at the truth honestly and without clarification.
“I did not think of it like that,” Richard said after a moment.
“Well, think of it now!”Lord Cheriton said sternly.
“We have no money, except for a
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