Love and Apollo Read online

  LOVE AND APOLLO

  The great statue of Apollo, which had fallen to the ground, was gradually broken up and pieces were carried away to England and France.

  Much of the statue, Valona knew, remained in Delos, but it lay too far for her to go and see it.

  Yet she was aware that it was still there and was, according to what she had read, filled with a tremendous power.

  One visitor to the statue had written,

  “It was splendid in its loneliness, its perfect beauty and its terrible power.”

  Valona was miles away, but as she stood looking towards the East, she could feel the magic of the young God, once thirty feet high.

  In her mind she could see his parted lips, his uplifted hands and his eyes gazing out to sea.

  More than two thousand years had passed since Apollo’s statue had been erected on the island, yet she knew in her heart that time had in no way weakened him.

  It was then that she began praying to Apollo with all her heart and soul.

  She asked him to bring her the true love she longed for.

  As the God of Light and Love, Apollo represented the fulfilment of dreams to all who worshipped him.

  ‘Help me, please help me!’ she begged. ‘The love I seek is the same love you give to the world and it is even more powerful than anything else mankind could possess.’

  LOVE AND APOLLO

  BARBARA CARTLAND

  www.barbaracartland.com

  Copyright © 2007 by Cartland Promotions

  First published on the internet in January 2008 by Barbaracartland.com

  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

  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

  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 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.

  Kno
wn 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.

  “If love comes from God, as I fervently believe it does, then it should not matter which God you are talking about. God is love and love is the nearest we will ever get to God, so I always advise my friends who are looking for love – every day close your eyes, pray as hard as you can to God and you will be rewarded by finding the love you seek.”

  Barbara Cartland

  CHAPTER ONE

  1887

  The Duke of Inchcombe walked straight into his sister’s boudoir to find her sitting at the writing table by the window.

  She looked up and exclaimed,

  “Oh, I see you are back, Arthur. What was the funeral like?”

  “Gloomy, as you might imagine,” he replied, “and there were not as many people as I had expected.”

  Lady Rose got up from the writing table and moved across the room to the sofa.

  “What am I going to do, Arthur,” she asked, “about a Lady-in-Waiting?”

  “I have been thinking about that while coming back to London. She will have to be someone discreet.”

  Lady Rose nodded her head and then she looked at him, a pleading expression on her face.

  “Must I really do this? The whole idea horrifies me, and you know how much I want to stay in England.”

  “I know, Rose, but if you do stay, you cannot go on as you are. People are sure to find out about it sooner or later.”

  “And what if they do?” she demanded defiantly.

  “Then you will most certainly lose your reputation and if the older members of the family are told all about it, you can imagine what they will say.”

  Lady Rose made a helpless gesture with her hands and walked to the window.

  Her brother sat down in a chair and looked at her.

  She was very attractive with her hair glinting in the sunshine and her exquisite features silhouetted against the windowpane.

  He was sorry, desperately sorry, at what she was being forced to do, but he could not think of any plausible alternative.

  Lady Rose was nearly twenty years old and when she had ‘come out’ as a debutante, she had been an instant success.

  And at the end of last year she had fallen in love.

  Wildly, head-over-heels in love with the Marquis of Dorsham.

  As he was only twenty-seven, extremely handsome and exceedingly rich, it would, the Duke knew, have been a perfect marriage in every way.

  Unfortunately the Marquis at the age of twenty-two had been pressured into marriage.

  At the time it had seemed such an excellent union and likely to prove happy.

  The young girl the Marquis had married was one of the greatest beauties of the Season. Her parents were both in-waiting to Queen Victoria and they had been delighted at the marriage.

  They had, however, omitted to tell the bridegroom that their daughter was at times given to strange seizures, which in some way had affected her brain.

  It was not until after they had been married for two months that the Marquis discovered his wife’s problem.

  Later when he eventually realised the seriousness of her condition, the doctors were called in.

  But it was too late – there was nothing they could do for the Marchioness.

  Her seizures became more and more severe, until she was now permanently in the hands of her doctors and nurses. She did not even recognise her husband when he came to see her.

  When he fell in love with Lady Rose, the Marquis realised exactly what he was missing.

  They then despairingly faced a future in which it was impossible for them to be together.

  It was only by a miracle, the Duke reflected, that their love for each other had not been uncovered already.

  There were those in Society who were always ready to find fault with anyone who was popular and if they had found out, the gossips would have all run straight to Queen Victoria.

  Then, as the Duke had expressed it to his sister, ‘the balloon would have gone up’.

  As it was, the Queen had sent for Lady Rose with a very different proposition.

  The political situation in the Balkans had been very unstable for some years.

  It had now become even worse since the accession of Czar Alexander III to the throne of Russia.

  He burned with indignation that Russia had not yet fulfilled her mission to dominate the Balkans and to seize control of the Dardanelles, which would give the Russians access to the Mediterranean.

  Stubbornly and surreptitiously he pursued the same goals as the previous Czar and he was clearly determined to establish Russian-dominated Governments in Serbia and Greece.

  The reports flowing into the British Foreign Office were particularly worrying.

  It seemed that the Russians were secretly acting as agents provocateurs, stirring up endless trouble in the established regimes of the Balkans. Undercover agents were posing as icon-sellers, as Russian Embassy officials paid crowds of people to stir up riots.

  Every report sent back to England was worse than the last.

  The climax of continuing horror was reached when Prince Alexander of Battenburg, the Ruler of Bulgaria, was abducted and forced at gunpoint to abdicate his throne.

  There was only one country that Russia was afraid of and that was Great Britain and the Czar could not afford a war against Queen Victoria.

  As soon as this was realised by the Queen and her advisers, she arranged marriages for the Kings and Princes of many Royal Principalities in the Balkans.

  Several of her relatives were already sitting on foreign thrones and once the Union Jack was seen to be flying over a small country, the Russians quietened down or withdrew.

  Her Majesty the Queen, however, was by now to all intents and purposes running short of supplies, because her remaining few relatives were either too young or already married.

  When King Phidias of Larissa sent an Ambassador with a most urgent appeal to Her Majesty for help, she had thought she would have to refuse his request.

  It was the Earl of Rosebery, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, who suggested Lady Rose Combe.

  The Queen had quite forgotten that the late Duke of Inchcombe was married to one of her distant cousins, who had been dead for over fifteen years.

  The present Duke was surprised when the Queen sent for him for a private audience.

  He was told firmly by Her Majesty that she wished to send his sister, Lady Rose, to Larissa.

  “I will inform her, ma’am, what you suggest,” said the Duke. “At the same time I feel sure she will not wish to leave England.”

  “Lady Rose must put her country first,” the Queen instructed. “And as she has Royal blood in her veins, she will be aware of where her duty lies!”

  The Duke considered that it would be a mistake to argue further with the Queen.

  On his return home he was not surprised when his sister was horrified at the proposal and at first she insisted that she had no intention of obeying the Queen.

  “Why,” she demanded hotly, “should I be sent to marry some obscure Balkan King who no one has ever heard of?”

  “I made a few enquiries,” replied the Duke. “He is in fact quite an important King, although unfortunately not very young.”

  “What do you mean, not very young?” Lady Rose exploded.

  “He is over fifty.”

  “And they expect me at my age to marry a man of that age?”

  “Larissa is an important country, although I did not realise that until just now, Rose. It has vital access to the Mediterranean, which is, of course, what the Russians want and they are striving by every possible means
to acquire.”

  “Well they will not acquire it through me,” retorted Lady Rose stubbornly.

  There was a pained silence, yet the Duke persisted,

  “Now listen for a moment, Rose. I know you are in love with Gerald and he with you, but there is not a chance in hell of your ever being able to be married.”

  Lady Rose walked to the window and he knew that she was fighting against tears.

  “It is so cruel,” she moaned, “wicked and cruel that Gerald should be so tied up to this woman and there is no escape.”

  “I know that,” the Duke sympathised.

  “From what I have been told,” his sister continued, “she might live for ever. After all she is still quite young and there is nothing wrong with her body. Only her mind is drastically affected.”

  “I know, I know, it is terribly hard and everyone who knows Gerald is very sorry for him. But what can we do?”

  The Duke recognised without having to say it that a divorce was impossible.

  The Marquis could not divorce his wife unless she was unfaithful to him and even then, it would need a special Bill to go through Parliament.

  And that would inevitably take a long time and also would cause a great deal of talk and scandal while the case was being heard.

  But there was no provision in the divorce laws for a man to be rid of his wife because she was mad or unable in any way to perform the duties of a wife.

  Even if he raised the matter in the House of Lords, it was impossible that any good would come of it.

  However cruel it might be, the Marquis was in fact married for life to a young woman who did not even know who he was, but who bore his name.

  “If you stay here,” the Duke told her quietly, “and go on seeing Gerald as you do now, sooner or later people will notice it. Servants talk and, although Gerald is known to be my friend, women who are jealous of your beauty will soon begin to think it strange he is with us so much.”

  “But I must see him, I must,” Lady Rose insisted.

  “That is the whole point, Rose, it is torture to you to know he is in London when we are in London, and in the country when we are in the country and not be able to see him.”