Read Online Love Drives In by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Cartland
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said the first man.
"Perhaps she is a lady?"
"Not in this part of the house, old fellow. But you've got to admit, she's more convincing than most."
Trembling with rage, Dorina stood frozen, listening to every word.
"Now just watch her," the first man said. "She'll look around and pick out a man she thinks looks wealthy enough to satisfy her. Then she'll slip her arm through his and say, "would you care to buy me a drink, sir?"
"Oh, will she?" Dorina muttered.
"Look, there's a fellow coming close behind her now," said the man. "He looks as if he could afford the earth, so he'll do for her. There he goes."
At that very moment a hand touched Dorina's arm from behind. Without a second's thought she swung round and delivered a punch of which a boxer would have been proud.
She heard screams and commotion as her victim fell to the ground. Furiously she stood over him, ready to deliver another punch if he dared to get up.
Then she froze.
"Gerald!"
He was lying on the floor, his eyes closed, and she could not tell if he was conscious or not. But before she could drop down beside him, she felt yet another hand seize her. It was heavy, and it landed on her shoulder.
"That's enough," said the policeman. "You know the terms on which we allow you girls in here. No rough stuff. I'm arresting you – "
"But I'm not one of those women," she cried.
"That's what they all say. Come along."
Against her will she was being hauled away, and there was nothing she could do about it.
"Gerald!" she screamed.
But he lay on the floor, his eyes still closed, unable to help her.
Heads turned as the policemen dragged her struggling figure out of the Alhambra. She managed to land a good few kicks on his shins, but not to escape him.
"Now then, now then," he said. "We don't want to add assaulting a police officer to the other charges, do we?"
"What other charges?" she gasped in horror.
"Don't give me that. You know what the charges are. You've probably been this way a dozen times for all you look like butter wouldn't melt in your mouth. When we get to the station I expect we'll find you have quite a record."
By now he had got her outside, where a police van was waiting.
"In you go," he said, pulling open a door with a barred window at the back, and letting down the steps.
Despite her struggles, Dorina found herself shoved into the van. The door was slammed, and the next thing she knew, she was on the move. She flung herself against the door, but it was locked. All she could do was stare frantically through the bars at the retreating street.
"Don't worry, love," said a voice behind her. "You'll get used to it like we all do."
Aghast, Dorina turned and saw what she had not noticed before.
There were five other women in there with her, some of whom, as the woman had said, looked as though they had indeed been through this many times before.
She was a prisoner on her way to a Police Station to be charged with any number of unmentionable crimes.
And there was nobody to help her.
*
When his head cleared, the Earl found himself sitting on the floor, leaning against a pillar. Gingerly he felt his jaw.
"What happened?" he mumbled.
"You had a lucky escape," said a male voice above him. "She may look like an angel but she's got a punch like a prize fighter."
Things began to come back to the Earl and he groaned. Hands reached out to help him into a chair.
"I remember now," he said. "Poor girl."
"Poor girl," said another male voice. "She knocked you out."
"She did not," he said, stung. "She caught me off guard. I lost my balance and hit my head on the pillar."
"That's not what the charge sheet will say," someone observed, and there was a burst of laughter.
"What do you mean, charge sheet?" the Earl demanded in alarm.
"The law dealt with her. There's always the odd policeman here to make sure that the girls behave themselves, and arrest them when they don't. He saw what happened and took her off."
"Oh no!" the Earl groaned, hiding his
"Perhaps she is a lady?"
"Not in this part of the house, old fellow. But you've got to admit, she's more convincing than most."
Trembling with rage, Dorina stood frozen, listening to every word.
"Now just watch her," the first man said. "She'll look around and pick out a man she thinks looks wealthy enough to satisfy her. Then she'll slip her arm through his and say, "would you care to buy me a drink, sir?"
"Oh, will she?" Dorina muttered.
"Look, there's a fellow coming close behind her now," said the man. "He looks as if he could afford the earth, so he'll do for her. There he goes."
At that very moment a hand touched Dorina's arm from behind. Without a second's thought she swung round and delivered a punch of which a boxer would have been proud.
She heard screams and commotion as her victim fell to the ground. Furiously she stood over him, ready to deliver another punch if he dared to get up.
Then she froze.
"Gerald!"
He was lying on the floor, his eyes closed, and she could not tell if he was conscious or not. But before she could drop down beside him, she felt yet another hand seize her. It was heavy, and it landed on her shoulder.
"That's enough," said the policeman. "You know the terms on which we allow you girls in here. No rough stuff. I'm arresting you – "
"But I'm not one of those women," she cried.
"That's what they all say. Come along."
Against her will she was being hauled away, and there was nothing she could do about it.
"Gerald!" she screamed.
But he lay on the floor, his eyes still closed, unable to help her.
Heads turned as the policemen dragged her struggling figure out of the Alhambra. She managed to land a good few kicks on his shins, but not to escape him.
"Now then, now then," he said. "We don't want to add assaulting a police officer to the other charges, do we?"
"What other charges?" she gasped in horror.
"Don't give me that. You know what the charges are. You've probably been this way a dozen times for all you look like butter wouldn't melt in your mouth. When we get to the station I expect we'll find you have quite a record."
By now he had got her outside, where a police van was waiting.
"In you go," he said, pulling open a door with a barred window at the back, and letting down the steps.
Despite her struggles, Dorina found herself shoved into the van. The door was slammed, and the next thing she knew, she was on the move. She flung herself against the door, but it was locked. All she could do was stare frantically through the bars at the retreating street.
"Don't worry, love," said a voice behind her. "You'll get used to it like we all do."
Aghast, Dorina turned and saw what she had not noticed before.
There were five other women in there with her, some of whom, as the woman had said, looked as though they had indeed been through this many times before.
She was a prisoner on her way to a Police Station to be charged with any number of unmentionable crimes.
And there was nobody to help her.
*
When his head cleared, the Earl found himself sitting on the floor, leaning against a pillar. Gingerly he felt his jaw.
"What happened?" he mumbled.
"You had a lucky escape," said a male voice above him. "She may look like an angel but she's got a punch like a prize fighter."
Things began to come back to the Earl and he groaned. Hands reached out to help him into a chair.
"I remember now," he said. "Poor girl."
"Poor girl," said another male voice. "She knocked you out."
"She did not," he said, stung. "She caught me off guard. I lost my balance and hit my head on the pillar."
"That's not what the charge sheet will say," someone observed, and there was a burst of laughter.
"What do you mean, charge sheet?" the Earl demanded in alarm.
"The law dealt with her. There's always the odd policeman here to make sure that the girls behave themselves, and arrest them when they don't. He saw what happened and took her off."
"Oh no!" the Earl groaned, hiding his
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