Read Online The Castle of Love by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online

knock at her bedroom door. It was Nancy.
    "Miss Felice wants to see you, miss," she said. "In her room."
    Jacina was too intrigued to refuse.
    Felice had been given the room hung with yellow silk. When Jacina arrived dresses were strewn all over the carved oak bed. Hats and gloves lay about on chairs. Felice stood in front of a pier glass. The dressmaker fussed around her, arranging swathes of white satin in place. She was putting the final touches to her wedding dress.
    "I want your opinion," said Felice. "What do you think of this dress?"
    "It is – perfect," murmured Jacina, puzzled.
    "Oh, I suppose it is alright, but really, ze workmanship is not as good as I could find in Paris or even London."
    The dressmaker, mouth full of pins, flushed and tried to look as if she was not there.
    Felice held something up for Jacina to see.
    "And what about these? Do these diamonds look good with zis white satin?"
    Jacina glanced at the necklace that had briefly lain around her own neck and then looked away.
    "Ideal," she said.
    Felice regarded her curiously, her head on one side.
    "You would like zis necklace to be yours, no?" she asked softly.
     Jacina met her gaze in the glass.
    "I am well aware that it can never be mine," she responded simply.
    Felice threw back her head and laughed gaily. "Oh how I am enjoying zis!" she exclaimed.
    Jacina was confused. "En-enjoying – what?" she asked.
    "Everything!" cried Felice. "Everything is better now!" She wiped her eyes as if she had been crying with amusement and waved a hand at Jacina. "Why don't you go away now, back to your dull old books!"
    Jacina was bewildered. Felice Delisle was playing with her as a cat plays with a mouse and she could not understand why.
    Turning on her heels to leave, she found her way barred by the figure of Monsieur Fronard. He regarded her with a scowl.
    "What are you doing here?" he asked.
    "I sent for her," said Felice airily.
    "You sent for her?" repeated Fronard, raising his eyes to Felice where she stood by the pier glass.
    "Mais oui. I get bored, you know, bored."
    Fronard growled something that Jacina heard as "prenez guarde."
    "Take care!"
    Jacina had had enough. She pushed past Fronard and hurried back to her room, her spirits deeply disturbed.
    What kind of creature was Felice Delisle? To have sent for Jacina and taunted her purely out of boredom! She had not seemed to consider it at all unseemly that Fronard should enter when she was being fitted for her wedding dress.
     What if the Earl found out?
    With a chill Jacina found herself thinking the unthinkable.
    Perhaps it suited Felice Delisle that the Earl of Ruven was blind!
    *
    That night Jacina could not sleep.
    She tossed and turned in her bed. Whenever she closed her eyes she saw Felice Delisle holding up the diamond necklace. She heard that high-pitched laugh ringing through her .
    Her heart was full of anguish. Was the Earl about to doom himself to an unhappy marriage? It might be so and yet there was nothing she could do to help him. He was in love with Felice Delisle, that was certain. No man could have been more solicitous of her happiness.
    Jacina sat up. The room seemed so close and stuffy. She needed air, fresh air! Throwing aside the counterpane, she got out of bed and went to the window. She drew back the curtain. Moonlight poured into the room like a flood of silver. She opened the window catch and leaned out.
    It had rained all day but now it had stopped. The air was cool and sweet. The moonlight touched the earth with filigree. The unutterably peaceful night seemed to beckon to the heart-sore Jacina. She dressed quickly, took up her cloak and left her room. She tiptoed through the corridors, not wishing to rouse anyone.
    She had to take great care tugging at the front door. Once it was open, she hesitated and then found a stone to wedge the door, so it would not completely close behind her. She wanted to be able to return without having to summon one of the servants.
    The woods on