107. Soft, Sweet & Gentle
SOFT, SWEET AND GENTLE
BARBARA CARTLAND
www.barbaracartland.com
Copyright © 2007 by Cartland Promotions
First published on the internet in August 2013 by Barbaracartland.com
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The characters and situations in this book are entirely imaginary and bear no relation to any real person or actual happening.
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SOFT, SWEET AND GENTLE
She thought as the revolver was so light and yet so easy to use that she would certainly take it with her the next time they went on a long journey to the North or even, although her father might disapprove, to London.
As she took it out, she realised that it was loaded and there was also a box full of bullets, which she would need if she used it.
‘I am certainly not going to leave this for Alister,’ she said to herself
As she picked up the revolver, she was thinking how carefully her father had taught her to handle it.
And how pleased she had been when he said – and it was the biggest compliment he could ever pay her – that she shot as well as any man.
She felt that her father would be hurt and upset at the idea of her having to leave The Castle, but there was no point in arguing with Alister, who had obviously made up his mind about her.
‘I am just an exile from everything I love,’ she told herself miserably.
Then suddenly to her surprise she heard a man’s voice shouting,
“What the hell do you think you are doing?”
THE BARBARA CARTLAND PINK COLLECTION
Barbara Cartland was the most prolific bestselling author in the history of the world. She was frequently in the Guinness Book of Records for writing more books in a year than any other living author. In fact her most amazing literary feat was when her publishers asked for more Barbara Cartland romances, she doubled her output from 10 books a year to over 20 books a year, when she was 77.
She went on writing continuously at this rate for 20 years and wrote her last book at the age of 97, thus completing 400 books between the ages of 77 and 97.
Her publishers finally could not keep up with this phenomenal output, so at her death she left 160 unpublished manuscripts, something again that no other author has ever achieved.
Now the exciting news is that these 160 original unpublished Barbara Cartland books are ready for publication and they will be published by Barbaracartland.com exclusively on the internet, as the web is the best possible way to reach so many Barbara Cartland readers around the world.
The 160 books will be published monthly and will be numbered in sequence.
The series is called the Pink Collection as a tribute to Barbara Cartland whose favourite colour was pink and it became very much her trademark over the years.
The Barbara Cartland Pink Collection is published only on the internet. Log on to www.barbaracartland.com to find out how you can purchase the books monthly as they are published, and take out a subscription that will ensure that all subsequent editions are delivered to you by mail order to your home.
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Titles in this series
These titles are currently available for download. For more information please see the Where to buy page at the end of this book.
The Cross Of Love
Love In The Highlands
Love Finds The Way
The Castle Of Love
Love Is Triumphant
Stars In The Sky
The Ship Of Love
A Dangerous Disguise
Love Became Theirs
Love Drives In
Sailing To Love
The Star Of Love
Music Is The Soul Of Love
Love In The East
Theirs To Eternity
A Paradise On Earth
Love Wins In Berlin
In Search Of Love
Love Rescues Rosanna
A Heart In Heaven
The House Of Happiness
Royalty Defeated By Love
The White Witch
They Sought Love
Love Is The Reason For Living
They Found Their Way To Heaven
Learning To Love
Journey To Happiness
A Kiss In The Desert
The Heart Of Love
The Richness Of Love
For Ever And Ever
An Unexpected Love
Saved By An Angel
Touching The Stars
Seeking Love
Journey To Love
The Importance Of Love
Love By The Lake
A Dream Come True
The King Without A Heart
The Waters Of Love
Danger To The Duke
A Perfect Way To Heaven
Follow Your Heart
In Hiding
Rivals For Love
A Kiss From The Heart
Lovers In London
This Way To Heaven
A Princess Prays
Mine For Ever
The Earl’s Revenge
Love At The Tower
Ruled By Love
Love Came From Heaven
Love And Apollo
The Keys Of Love
A Castle Of Dreams
A Battle Of Brains
A Change Of Hearts
It Is Love
The Triumph Of Love
Wanted – A Royal Wife
A Kiss Of Love
To Heaven With Love
Pray For Love
The Marquis Is Trapped
Hide And Seek For Love
Hiding from Love
A Teacher Of Love
Money Or Love
The Revelation Is Love
The Tree Of Love
The Magnificent Marquis
The Castle
The Gates of Paradise
A Lucky Star
A Heaven on Earth
The Healing Hand
A Virgin Bride
The Trail to Love
A Royal Love Match
A Steeplechase for Love
Love at Last
Search for a Wife
Secret Love
A Miracle of Love
Love and the Clans
A Shooting Star
The Winning Post is Love
They Touched Heaven
The Mountain of Love
The Queen Wins
Love and the Gods
Joined by Love
The Duke is Deceived
A Prayer For Love
Love Conquers War
A Rose in Jeopardy
A Call of Love
A Flight to Heaven
She Wanted Love
A Heart Finds Love
A Sacrifice for Love
Love's Dream in Peril
Soft, Sweet And Gentle
THE LATE DAME BARBARA CARTLAND
&n
bsp; Barbara Cartland, who sadly died in May 2000 at the grand age of ninety eight, remains one of the world’s most famous romantic novelists. With worldwide sales of over one billion, her outstanding 723 books have been translated into thirty six different languages, to be enjoyed by readers of romance globally.
Writing her first book ‘Jigsaw’ at the age of 21, Barbara became an immediate bestseller. Building upon this initial success, she wrote continuously throughout her life, producing bestsellers for an astonishing 76 years. In addition to Barbara Cartland’s legion of fans in the UK and across Europe, her books have always been immensely popular in the USA. In 1976 she achieved the unprecedented feat of having books at numbers 1 & 2 in the prestigious B. Dalton Bookseller bestsellers list.
Although she is often referred to as the ‘Queen of Romance’, Barbara Cartland also wrote several historical biographies, six autobiographies and numerous theatrical plays as well as books on life, love, health and cookery. Becoming one of Britain's most popular media personalities and dressed in her trademark pink, Barbara spoke on radio and television about social and political issues, as well as making many public appearances.
In 1991 she became a Dame of the Order of the British Empire for her contribution to literature and her work for humanitarian and charitable causes.
Known for her glamour, style, and vitality Barbara Cartland became a legend in her own lifetime. Best remembered for her wonderful romantic novels and loved by millions of readers worldwide, her books remain treasured for their heroic heroes, plucky heroines and traditional values. But above all, it was Barbara Cartland’s overriding belief in the positive power of love to help, heal and improve the quality of life for everyone that made her truly unique.
“Every man in my experience likes a woman to be soft, sweet and gentle – and he is far more likely to fall in love with a woman who is.”
Barbara Cartland
CHAPTER ONE
1860
Lady Georgina Lang walked into the study and saw a pile of letters on her father’s writing table that she knew she would have to answer.
She had just come from his funeral that had taken place very quietly in the village Church which was actually on the Earl’s estate.
It was still hard to realise that her father, who had meant so much in her life, was dead.
She would never ride over the fields with him again or hear him giving her sharp orders that she must obey.
It seemed extraordinary that she was now alone in her home and she really had no idea what her future would be.
Her father had filled her life to such an extent that she could not imagine how she would manage without him.
The tenth Earl of Langfield had always been a law unto himself and he had never expected anyone to disobey his orders or in any way to contradict them.
He was a very good-looking man, tall and almost Regal in his attitude to life.
He had longed, as other men had done before him, for an heir to his title, his castle and his huge estate.
He had married, in the most perfect manner, the daughter of a Duke.
As he was so rich and important and she was very beautiful, it had seemed on the surface a perfect marriage, not only from the Social point of view, but because they might have been made for each other.
The Earl’s title dated back to Cromwellian times, although early Langfields had distinguished themselves in battles both on land and sea.
One of the most prized possessions in Langfield Castle was the Family Tree. It had been kept up to date year by year since it was first started soon after William the Conqueror and his wife were crowned King and Queen of England.
The tenth Earl was undoubtedly in love with his beautiful wife, but at the same time he would not have married her if she had not been suitable to become the Countess of Langfield.
As they were described as one of the best looking couples in the Social world, it was clearly obvious that their children would be as handsome as their father and as beautiful as their mother.
Then, for some reason that the outside world could not understand and were far too polite to ask, there was no baby to be baptised in the Church where they had been married.
The Family Tree would seem to come to an end with their wedding.
Then, almost like a miracle, eight years after they had enriched the County by giving the best parties at The Castle, it was whispered that the Countess was with child.
It was a subject the whole neighbourhood talked about and speculated on.
“He’s always wanted an heir,” the men said to each other. “It seems extraordinary that he’s waited so long.”
“She had always looked an extremely healthy girl as well as being so beautiful,” the women said. “I expected by this time they would have had at least three or four children.”
No one, however, had ever been brave enough to ask the Earl why the nursery in The Castle was empty.
There was then a sigh of relief at the chance of it being filled.
Georgina was born a few days before Christmas.
She naturally had no idea when she came into the world that she was an overwhelming disappointment to her father.
The Earl had been certain that the child his wife was carrying would be a boy and he had gone through the family names to decide which of his ancestors had been the most distinguished and the most interesting.
There was little doubt that it was Admiral George Lang, who had demolished almost the entire fleet of the enemy he was fighting by his own brilliant leadership.
There had been books written on him at the time and he had been rewarded by the King who had given him the most brilliant decoration available.
“My son will be named George,” the Earl had trumpeted. “He will also bear my name and that of my father.”
He had it all planned out and decided that George would have the best Tutors available, then he would be sent to school at Eton and he would finish his education at Oxford where he himself had obtained a degree.
It seemed just incredible, after all the trouble he had taken, that the baby who came into the world just before the festivities of Christmas were to be doubled and trebled by his heir’s arrival should be a girl.
What was more the Countess had a very difficult time and the doctors attending her made it very clear to the Earl that it would be impossible for her to have another child.
Because he was an intelligent man, he was able to hide his disappointment from the world outside, but those who knew him intimately were aware of how much he was upset by the information the doctors had given him.
He could not bear to think that, after all the love and care he had given to The Castle and the estate, no son of his would take his place.
There was, in fact, only a distant relative to inherit when he died.
He controlled himself as he had learnt to do since he had been a boy until the moment when his daughter was about to be Christened.
Because she was a girl the Christening was to take place in the Chapel that had been built in The Castle three centuries earlier.
No relatives were invited and the Countess was not well enough to leave her bedroom. The baby was therefore carried to the Chapel by her nurse.
It was actually when the local Vicar, who was also the Earl’s private Chaplain, took the baby girl into his arms that something extraordinary happened.
Because he had been so upset that the much-wanted baby should be a girl, the Earl had not discussed with his wife, who was still very sick, or with anyone else, what her name should be.
He was still thinking of the child as George because of the Admiral’s career, which had been uppermost in his mind during his wife’s pregnancy.
Then, when the Vicar asked for the child’s name, without considering his answer, the Earl replied,
“George!”
Thinking he must have misheard what the Earl had said, the Vicar proceeded to baptise the baby as ‘Georgina’ and the Earl found it impossible to say
anything.
So Lady Georgina was baptised and the majority of the household and the Earl’s relatives, when they heard of it, thought that it was a delightful name.
It was one that had not been used in the family before.
If the Earl had secretly hoped that he might have another chance of having an heir, he learnt that the only possibility would be if his wife died and he could marry again.
The doctors had told him that, while she could not possibly give him another child, she would live a normal life span if she was properly looked after and did not exert herself in any way.
As the Countess was still very young and beautiful, the doctors pointed out to the Earl that he was an extremely lucky man as his wife might easily have died, as a number of other women had done in similar circumstances.
Instead she should be with him for at least what was a usual lifetime.
If the Earl was upset by such a prediction, he was too much of a gentleman to show it.
He was charming and loving to his wife as he had always been, but otherwise he felt as if his own life was useless and of no consequence because he had no heir to follow him.
It was then, as Georgina grew older, she became in fact exactly as she was expected to become.
Beautiful to look at and with a strong athletic body which she had inherited from her father, the Earl began to treat her as if she was a boy and the heir he so longed for.
Because it came so easily to his lips, he called her ‘George’ and, as she grew older, she was treated not as his daughter but as his son.
While she was still in the nursery, she rode a pony that would have been considered suitable for a child twice her age.
When she was eight years old, she was put onto one of her father’s horses and rode it astride. It seemed to come to her so naturally.
It was perhaps from that moment on that the Earl began to believe that she really was a boy.
He taught her to shoot and to swim even when the lake was very cold.
When she was older still, she rode with him on long journeys in weather no woman would ever have considered suitable.
When the Countess suggested that she should have a Governess, the Earl found Tutors who taught her exactly as if she had been a boy of the same age.