Hide and Seek for Love

  HIDE AND SEEK FOR LOVE

  BARBARA CARTLAND

  www.barbaracartland.com

  Copyright © 2010 by Cartland Promotions

  First published on the Internet in June 2010

  ISBNs

  978-1-908411-37-2 Epub

  978-1-908411-38-9 Prc

  978-1-908411-39-6 Pdf

  The characters and situations in this book are entirely imaginary and bear no relation to any real person or actual happening.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval, without the prior permission in writing from the publisher.

  eBook conversion by M-Y Books

  HIDE AND SEEK

  FOR LOVE

  She was not in bed, although she was undressed, and she had already laid out her riding habit on a chair so that it would be ready for her when she awoke in the morning.

  Benina knew that she must not keep David waiting. She was mindful of her father’s words of caution that men found nothing more annoying than an unpunctual woman. He said that it implied a woman believed that waiting around was a man’s duty, which it was most certainly not.

  She put her riding boots in front of the chair.

  Then she walked over to the window to have a last look at the garden, which looked like Fairyland in the moonlight.

  As she gazed down onto the lake she thought what fun it had been to swim with David.

  ‘I am so lucky,’ she thought. ‘Another man might have been as unkind and cruel as the Marquis and sent Nanny and me away from Ingle Hall.’

  And how thrilled the pensioners would be at all he had done for them.

  She was sure no other man would be so generous when he had so little money.

  ‘He is wonderful! Wonderful!’ she told herself.

  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.

  If you do not have access to a computer you can write for information about the Pink Collection to the following address :

  Barbara Cartland.com Ltd.

  240 High Road,

  Harrow Weald,

  Harrow

  HA3 7BB

  United Kingdom.

  Telephone & fax: +44 (0)20 8863 2520

  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.

  1. The Cross Of Love

  2. Love In The Highlands

  3. Love Finds The Way

  4. The Castle Of Love

  5. Love Is Triumphant

  6. Stars In The Sky

  7. The Ship Of Love

  8. A Dangerous Disguise

  9. Love Became Theirs

  10. Love Drives In

  11. Sailing To Love

  12. The Star Of Love

  13. Music Is The Soul Of Love

  14. Love In The East

  15. Theirs To Eternity

  16. A Paradise On Earth

  17. Love Wins In Berlin

  18. In Search Of Love

  19. Love Rescues Rosanna

  20. A Heart In Heaven

  21. The House Of Happiness

  22. Royalty Defeated By Love

  23. The White Witch

  24. They Sought Love

  25. Love Is The Reason For Living

  26. They Found Their Way To Heaven

  27. Learning To Love

  28. Journey To Happiness

  29. A Kiss In The Desert

  30. The Heart Of Love

  31. The Richness Of Love

  32. For Ever And Ever

  33. An Unexpected Love

  34. Saved By An Angel

  35. Touching The Stars

  36. Seeking Love

  37. Journey To Love

  38. The Importance Of Love

  39. Love By The Lake

  40. A Dream Come True

  41. The King Without A Heart

  42. The Waters Of Love

  43. Danger To The Duke

  44. A Perfect Way To Heaven

  45. Follow Your Heart

  46. In Hiding

  47. Rivals For Love

  48. A Kiss From The Heart

  49. Lovers In London

  50. This Way To Heaven

  51. A Princess Prays

  52. Mine For Ever

  53. The Earl’s Revenge

  54. Love At The Tower

  55. Ruled By Love

  56. Love Came From Heaven

  57. Love And Apollo

  58. The Keys Of Love

  59. A Castle Of Dreams

  60. A Battle Of Brains

  61. A Change Of Hearts

  62. It Is Love

  63. The Triumph Of Love

  64. Wanted – A Royal Wife

  65. A Kiss Of Love

  66. To Heaven With Love

  67. Pray For Love

  68. The Marquis Is Trapped

  69. Hide And Seek For Love

  THE LATE DAME BARBARA CARTLAND

  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 cook
ery. 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.

  “I have often been asked, ‘how do you know when you are really in love and it is not just plain infatuation?’

  My answer is always the same.

  You are in love when your loved one is never out of your mind for a single second and you just cannot wait until you see and touch her or him again.”

  Barbara Cartland

  CHAPTER ONE

  -

  1872

  A bearded and disreputable figure in the tattered dress of a Muslim Holy man moved into the deserted cave with a sigh of relief.

  He had been walking for miles and was desperately tired.

  At the same time he knew that he had to climb out of sight before he was observed.

  He looked around the large cave.

  He realised that if he climbed to the far end of it, he would not only be well out of sight but also above the people coming after him, who he wanted to overhear.

  He was, in fact, a British officer – Captain David Ingle of the Sixth Bengal Native Cavalry Regiment.

  Like many other Officers he had joined what was considered the most exciting, but dangerous, Secret Service in the whole world.

  During the last twelve years British intelligence had realised that the Russian Empire was expanding to take over the small Caravan towns and the Muslim Khanates that lay between their Southern border and the frontier of Northern India.

  One by one they were falling to the fearsome Cossacks, who always spearheaded the advance of the Russian troops.

  In 1865 the great walled City of Tashkent had been forced to submit humbly to the Czar, and three years later it was the turn of Samarkand and Bokhara to face humiliation and defeat.

  Now the Russians were creeping closer and closer to India’s weakly guarded North-West Frontier and British Empire territory.

  Despite the Czar’s repeated assurances that he and the Russians had no hostile intentions towards India the British, both at home and in India, were becoming increasingly concerned.

  It was already known that several of the Czar’s most able Generals had drawn up a plan of invasion.

  As the threat to the British Empire intensified more and more young Officers were prepared to risk their lives – in fact quite a number of them had already died.

  They undertook increasingly dangerous journeys in disguise to report on Russian movements as well as to try to win over the allegiance of weak and suspicious Khans.

  A large number of the players in this strange secret struggle, often referred to as ‘The Great Game’, were professionals – Indian Army Officers and the political Agents sent by their superiors in Calcutta to glean information of every kind.

  But some were volunteers and these amateurs were no less capable.

  Disguised as Muslim Holy men and Buddhist pilgrims, they had succeeded in secretly mapping thousands of square acres of previously unexplored territory.

  David Ingle had jumped at the chance of joining The Great Game just a year after he had proved himself an excellent soldier. Although still a young man, he was already on the list of Officers selected for early promotion.

  He had the reputation for being extremely lucky and he brought information back to Headquarters that they had never been able to obtain through anyone else.

  For him it was an excitement he enjoyed more than anything else.

  He had wisely learnt to speak Urdu fluently and picked up sufficient Russian to understand what his enemies were saying if he was able to make any form of contact with them.

  From what he had seen and heard on his missions, he was even more convinced than the Viceroy himself that India was in great danger.

  It required intense planning and far more attention than those at home were giving it if India was to be saved.

  Now he climbed up to the roof of the cave knowing that if discovered, he would undoubtedly die.

  Worse still he could be tortured before his head was finally chopped from his body.

  He knew that the Russians were ruthless and would show no mercy to an enemy.

  He had been recruited to watch the Russian Cavalry and was currently concerned with what was happening at Fort Tibbee, a fort on India’s North-West Frontier, named after the village that originally stood there before the Frontier became a battleground.

  It was during a mission to several small independent States, lying to the North-West collectively known as Sind, that David had become suspicious that something sinister was being planned against Fort Tibbee.

  So instead of moving on to his intended destination, he had hastily doubled back, trusting his intuition. It had been a very hard and uncomfortable journey and he was dog-tired.

  Now he was in sight of Tibbee and he could see the British flag flying over the Fort.

  He was certain that, as everything seemed quiet, the garrison had not the slightest idea that anything unusual was likely to happen.

  There was one lesson that David had learnt in his many years of serving in The Great Game, and that was nothing was more dangerous than when the British Army thought themselves safe and were not looking for trouble.

  It was then that the Russians would send in a formidable force, usually the Cossacks. Riding brilliantly, resplendent in their uniforms, the Cossack’s even commanded the respect of their enemies.

  David recognised that their equipment, training and morale were remarkable.

  Even he had been astonished by the hardiness of the Cossacks, who slept out in the snow in midwinter without tents and apparently were not perturbed by any obstacle.

  As a Cavalry Officer he was exceedingly impressed by the feat of one particular Regiment of Cossacks, who had captured an enemy fortress by galloping into it before the defenders could close the gates.

  That was sheer drama and the Russians were also clever enough to recruit their spies and their agents from amongst the Indians themselves, particularly among the tribesmen.

  The fierce tribesmen could be incited into making trouble and bribed to harass the British forces, whom they believed had no right to be in their country.

  So the British always had to be on their guard as small uprisings amongst the people could take place at any time and on any pretext.

  The Russians exploited every situation and sent in, as they had in the Balkans, men to stir up trouble and foster revolution where it was least expected.

  David had overheard a whispered sentence he was not supposed to hear and it had made him alert.

  The North-West Frontier had always been a bone of contention between the tribesmen and the British Army.

  The tribesmen resented any Fort built on land they considered theirs and hated being ordered about by British Officers.

  And the Fort was now in sight and it was his duty to convince those inside to be more on their guard.

  He realised that it was always difficult in the heat of India and when there was nothing very much happening to keep men alert and ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

  Having spent several days in a large Fort soon after arriving in India, he had learnt how very difficult it was for every man from the Commanding Officer down to the most recent recruit.

  Suddenly the word ‘cave’ snapped him out of his thoughts and he knew instinctivel
y that those he could hear were referring to the cave where he was hiding.

  Casting a glance around he could see it was a large cave, probably appreciated by anyone sleeping out on the mountain, as it was a protection against the hot sun in summer and the winds and snows of winter.

  As he climbed as high as he could in the cave and realised that he could go no further, he was hoping that he would not fall asleep.

  It was certainly a danger, since he had walked all through the night and had only come within sight of Fort Tibbee as dawn was breaking.

  Disguised as a Muslim Holy man, he knew that he would be safe amongst the tribesmen.

  At the same time to be among them was to waste a great deal of time as they would ask him for his blessing, kneeling down in front of him to receive it and if he was not careful, they would tell him all their personal troubles.

  It was therefore only by running for the last mile or so before dawn broke that he had been able to reach the cave without being seen and, as he slipped into it, he had said a prayer of thankfulness that it was unoccupied.

  He could thus do what he intended and hide among the rocks where he could hear but not be seen and he had achieved this, but not without tearing his already ragged garments.

  His notebook, containing all the information he had gleaned with so much difficulty during the past month, was slightly torn.

  However, he was now well hidden in the cave and all he had to do was to wait.

  Despite his resolution not to fall asleep, his eyelids were drooping and his limbs became relaxed.

  Suddenly, he heard two men enter the cave below him and instantly with the acuteness of someone who has faced danger a dozen times, David was instantly vigilant.

  Then, as the man below spoke, he drew in his breath, hearing that he was a Russian.

  “I suppose they’ll turn up,” the Russian grunted in a thick voice.

  “You can be sure of that,” the other man answered.

  He did not speak again.

  But David was aware that they had sat down on one of the flat stones, which provided the only place they could sit on except on the rough floor itself.