The Tree of Love Read online

  THE TREE OF LOVE

  BARBARA CARTLAND

  www.barbaracartland.com

  Copyright © 2010 by Cartland Promotions

  First published on the internet in November 2010 by Barbaracartland.com

  ISBNs

  978-1-908411-65-5 Epub

  978-1-908411-66-2 Prc

  978-1-908411-67-9 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

  THE TREE OF LOVE

  It was now the fourth day she had been in the house and Shenda played the piano in the boudoir after attending to the Captain’s wounds, as she had every day.

  She found the piano gave her an enormous amount of pleasure and she really loved composing music to represent whatever she was thinking about.

  Now the music she was playing was the story of her growing up and of her happiness at being with her parents.

  And of the magic she found amongst the flowers in the garden and in the woods.

  She played how the squirrels carried their nuts up the trees to hide them, and how the goblins would work in the roots as she listened to them by putting her ear against the trunks.

  She played to the brilliant stars overhead and to the moon creeping up the sky that had always fascinated her.

  She played the tunes all the birds sang in the spring, and then her feelings as she first saw the Seine and thought how beautiful it was.

  The music of the Seine made her think of Pluck and how the brave little dog had swum to safety after his cruel owner had tried to drown him.

  Then she played of her delight when she and Pierre had rescued him and how they had brought him home in triumph!

  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 :

  BarbaraCartland.com

  Camfield Place

  Hatfield

  Hertfordshire

  AL9 6JE

  United Kingdom

  Telephone: +44 1707 642629

  Fax: +44 1707 663041

  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

  70. Hiding from Love

  71. A Teacher Of Love

  72. Money Or Love

  73. The Revelation Is Love

  74. The Tree Of 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 f
eat 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.

  “As many of you will know I have been an ardent believer of the amazing benefits of natural medicine all my life, but always remember that a combination of nature and love together will cure any malady or illness.”

  Barbara Cartland

  CHAPTER ONE

  -

  1815

  Shenda brought her stallion into the stables and, as there was no groom to be seen, she rubbed him down.

  Then she patted him affectionately and walked out onto the cobbled yard.

  There was still no sign of the groom anywhere and she thought he was doubtless in the kitchen talking to the cook about the funeral.

  She walked slowly, not into the house, but through the rhododendrons that led into the garden.

  The grass was green and so many flowers were just coming into bloom.

  The birds were singing cheerfully overhead, but all Shenda could think about was that this was the end.

  The end of her life as she knew it.

  The end of her home, the only one she had ever known.

  It seemed so incredible that everything could have changed so much since the beginning of the war.

  Her mother had died not long before the end of the Peninsular Campaign and she realised that she would have to look after her father, who had never been very strong – he had always relied on his wife for everything.

  Nobody could have dreamt that Lady Linbury, who had always been the spirit and inspiration of the whole County, could have died so suddenly.

  It was after an exceptionally bitter winter and she had always been weak where her lungs were concerned.

  When she caught what was in fact a very bad attack of pneumonia, she refused to take to her bed.

  She insisted on continuing to look after her husband and her daughter as she had always done.

  When she could no longer move, see or speak, she had reluctantly agreed to rest, but it was too late.

  The doctor could do nothing and the nurse they had ordered for her arrived after she had actually passed away.

  To Shenda it had seemed quite impossible that her darling Mama was no longer there with her.

  Everyone had always turned to her for help and advice, as she had always been an incredible tower of strength not only to Linbury House but also to the estate that had been in the family for generations. Now she was gone and her loss would cause a great hole in the fabric of the place.

  Lady Linbury’s system was old-fashioned in very many ways, but what did that matter.

  As Shenda’s brother, Johnnie, had said to her over and over again,

  “I will alter things and bring the estate up-to-date when I take over. But for the moment I am quite content to let Mama do everything she wants.”

  It was not as if he was able to do much anyway, as being in the Army he could take very little leave.

  He had travelled abroad with the first contingent of Wellington’s Army on the outbreak of war.

  After he had landed in Portugal, it was impossible at first to hear from him at all and then occasionally letters came through – yet invariably by the time they arrived they were out of date.

  Therefore they had no idea where Johnnie was or, as his father sometimes said bitterly, “if he is alive at all.”

  Shenda had written to him when their mother died, but it was two months before she received an answer.

  When Johnnie learnt of his mother’s death, he was, as Shenda expected, terribly upset by the news.

  “What will we do without her?” he wrote. “She was always the life and soul of the family and I cannot imagine how you and Papa will cope now she is no longer there.”

  It was exactly what Shenda was thinking herself.

  She could only write back to him and tell Johnnie they were doing their best so that when he did return he would not be disappointed.

  Then the Battle of Waterloo came and the whole of the country was in a wild state of excitement at the victory.

  But Johnnie was one of those thousands of English soldiers who would never return.

  It was hearing that he had lost his only son, Shenda recognised, which had really killed her father.

  Losing her mother had been the blow that changed him into a withdrawn invalid who seldom spoke and only ate when his daughter more or less forced him to do so.

  Shenda had always known her father was frail, but then one morning when the servant who usually called him came hurrying to her room, she knew, as she heard his footsteps in the corridor, what he had come to tell her.

  Now without her father, her mother or Johnnie to guide her, she had to make what she realised was the most important decision of her life.

  Actually there was no alternative.

  She had to do what her father had told her to do.

  She had read the letter he had left for her again and again.

  At first she felt that what he had written to her must be part of her imagination and not of reality.

  Living as she was in the depths of the Hertfordshire countryside she had always felt out of touch with the world outside her home and its immediate neighbourhood.

  There had been no question of her going to London a year ago when she would ordinarily have made her debut in the Season.

  One of her very distant relatives had written to say that she fully understood what a sad time it was for her and wondered if she would like to come and stay in London.

  She was in mourning and therefore could not attend any of the Society balls, but there were many small parties at which she could be a guest.

  Some of her younger cousins whom she had never met would doubtless invite her to visit them.

  In the past Shenda had refused because she had her father to look after and anyway she had thought it was not the sort of world she would enjoy.

  Now her father had been buried two days ago and there had been no one to mourn at his funeral except their immediate neighbours.

  They were mostly older and living quietly as their sons were serving in the Army of Occupation in France and their daughters were married or so young they were still at school.

  Though her father was a Peer, he was not a wealthy man and during the years of the war he and her mother had not been that interested in Social activities in the County.

  Shenda gathered that things had been very different when her father and mother had been young. When they first married there had been more kindred spirits living in that part of Hertfordshire than there were now.

  She was amused when she was told that the Duke of Wellington, who was then Sir Arthur Wellesley, used to stay at Hatfield House with their neighbours the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury.

  Shenda had been told that Lady Salisbury had given him a sky-blue frock coat, the colours of the Hertfordshire Hunt, and he had obviously appreciated the gift as he often wore it when he rode to hounds.

  The Salisburys had always seemed somewhat aloof from their neighbours i
n the County, but still they had sent her a letter of condolence when her mother died.

  She expected that there would be another one when they learnt of the death of her father.

  What her father and mother had told her about the Duke of Wellington was all she knew about him.

  Now suddenly, so that it took her breath away even to think about it, he had become very important in her life.

  After her father’s death she had gone to his writing desk to see what bills were outstanding. To her surprise when she opened the centre drawer, she had seen her name printed in capital letters on a large envelope.

  She had stared at it for a moment, thinking she was only seeing it in her imagination.

  She recognised her father’s handwriting and opened the brown envelope gingerly.

  Inside there was one envelope for her – and another one addressed, although it seemed incredible, to His Grace the Duke of Wellington.

  She opened hers and her father had written,

  “My dearest and most precious daughter,

  When you read this, which I think will be very soon, I will have joined your mother and your beloved brother in another world.

  As I have often felt them near me, I am quite certain they will be there to welcome me and I will not be alone.

  But there is no one left to look after you!

  This has troubled me night after night when I have lain awake wondering how you will ever be able to care for yourself.

  I have finally decided that you must go to France when you have read this letter and give the letter I have enclosed with yours to the Duke of Wellington.

  I have pointed out to him that I have given him my one and only son and the well-being of my estate as all our men who used to work for us have joined his Army.

  Now the only one I have left is you, Shenda.

  I therefore leave you in his care and feel sure that he will not refuse my plea.

  If Johnnie had survived to carry on my title and the estate, you would, I know, have been happy. When the war was over, you could have lived the life your mother and I had always planned for you.

  As everything has changed and all that is left of this hideous and ghastly war is the peace the Duke can bring to Europe, you surely have a right to share in his victory.