Read Online This Way to Heaven by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online Page B

that just before the blizzard came and brought down all the telephone lines, the Duchess sent word to her staff that, as you were spending Christmas with your relations in Debbingford, they should close up Harley Grange for the rest of the winter.
    â€œApparently she wishes to remain in London with her new grandson.
    â€œOf course, Mr. Reid, the butler at Harley, thought that you had already reached Debbingford, so he had your luggage packed and the cart was dispatched. But then the blizzard came and the carter could only reach The Golden Lion in Somerton village. George discovered your trunks and cases there last night and brought them up to the castle very early this morning.”
    â€œThat was very good of him,” said Jasmina, eagerly spreading honey on her bread. “If only someone could tell me that my horse, Lightning, is safe and sound, my mind would be completely at rest.”
    â€œI am sure he will have found shelter somewhere, Miss Winfield. Animals have a strange way of being able to look after themselves when we cannot!”
    â€œDo please convey my thanks to George Radford. Goodness, I have yet to tell him how grateful I am to him for finding me in the snow and bringing me here. Has he left the castle again?”
    Mary now sighed and nodded and Jasmina noticed her pretty face had gone quite pink.
    â€œHe has his own farm to tend to. Not that he can do much in this bitter weather. Horrid little place, it be too. If only he would sell his land to the Earl – well! You’ll not want to hear all my silly gossip. I will send up your luggage immediately.”
    â€œMary! Wait!”
    Jasmina stood up, her curls falling in disarray over her shoulders.
    â€œWhy won’t George sell his land? Will the Earl not give him a good price for it?”
    Mary nervously fingered the big bunch of keys that hung from her leather belt.
    â€œOh yes, madam. His Lordship is a fair man and no one can ever call him anything else. He has made George a most generous offer for his farm, but there’s no one as stubborn as a Yorkshireman when it comes to land.
    â€œThe Radfords have owned and farmed those few acres for many centuries, but it’s a bleak damp corner of sour ground. This year even the turnips didn’t grow well. The Earl would like to own it so he could link two big parts of his estate. He plans to drain the land and improve it.
    â€œBut George won’t be budged, Miss Winfield. And until he does, we cannot marry as there is no money to be had from the farm for him to support a wife and family!”
    Then, as if she realised she had probably said too much, she nodded her dark head to Jasmina and swiftly left the room.
    Jasmina finished her breakfast slowly, realising that she was extremely hungry.
    She ate a boiled egg, drank her coffee and spread thick golden honey on soft bread, enjoying the good sweet flavour.
    She had taken a great liking to Mary Landrey, the young housekeeper, and now guessed that her feelings for George Radford ran very deep.
    Jasmina sighed and wondered what it would be like to fall in love with a man and to care for him so much that just to hear him speak would seem like Heaven on earth?
    She wondered if that was how the Earl’s poor wife had felt on her wedding day.
    Had she loved him or had it just been a convenient marriage, necessary for the sake of convention when the old Earl had passed away?
    Her luggage was brought into her room before she could ask herself why that should matter to her.
    She carefully unpacked her very warmest skirt and jacket and found a pair of thick stockings and old leather walking shoes in the bottom of one of the trunks.
    â€˜Well, I will not look like a fashionable young lady but I will certainly be warm!’ she laughed as she inspected herself in the long cheval mirror that stood in one corner of the room.
    Just as she was about to close the trunk, she noticed a package wedged down one side.
    Why, of course!