Secret Love
SECRET LOVE
BARBARA CARTLAND
www.barbaracartland.com
Copyright © 2011 by Cartland Promotions
First published on the internet in December 2011
by Barbaracartland.com
ISBNs
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.
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SECRET LOVE
Through the open door Robbie could see the lamp which stood by his bed, and it must have been lit before Josofine went out and although it was turned low the room seemed warm and golden.
Josofine moved to the window to look down at the moonlit street below.
“It has been a lovely evening,” she sighed. “I do not think I have ever been so happy.”
“Nor have I,” Robbie replied.
“Is that true?” she quizzed.
“Of course it is true. Surely you understand that when I am with you I am happier than I have ever been.”
Josephine looked at him and he realised that her blue eyes were searching his face – she wanted to be quite sure he was telling her the truth.
Very slowly, as if he was afraid to do so, he put his arms round her.
“I love you, Josofine,” he whispered. “I love you, my darling, with all my heart and soul. There is no one else in the whole world for me except you.”
He felt the little quiver that went through her and then he drew her closer to him and his lips were on hers.
It was a very gentle kiss.
A kiss almost of reverence.
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.
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
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 fe
at 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.
“Love, I have always believed, is a gift from God and, as you respect and revere God, you must respect and revere love – or else it can melt away and return to God.”
Barbara Cartland
CHAPTER ONE
1868
Wenda walked down from the stables towards the house.
She had been out riding early and was now thinking about all that was waiting for her inside.
She had realised long ago that it was impossible to make the house look as it had in her parents’ day.
She could only do her very best to make part of it habitable and comfitable for her brother and herself.
Unfortunately for Wenda, Robert or Robbie as they always called him, had found a year ago that he preferred London to the country.
As they could not afford everything he desired, she could understand it.
He enjoyed the parties that took place every night in Mayfair and were obyiously far more entertaining than the routine of life at Creswell Court.
She saw Robbie intermittently, but it was almost five weeks since she had last heard from him and she could only hope that he would be home soon.
There was so much she needed to discuss with him and so much they must decide if the estate was not to go completely to rack and ruin.
As it was there were endless repairs that had been neglected simply because, as Wenda knew, they could not afford to pay for them.
Her father, Lord Creswell, had been an extremely brilliant man.
Queen Victoria had found him of great assistance to her especially after she became a widow, but unfortunately that did not provide enough money for him to keep up the estate that had been in the Creswell family for centuries.
All through history land had played a significant part in ensuring the strength and well-being of England and with her parents both dead and her brother still young and unmarried, Wenda felt sadly that no one was particularly interested in The Court itself.
At one time it had been one of the great sights of Britain and it was close to London and thus easy to reach.
There had always been, when her father was alive, people coming to stay for a few days or even driving down just to see the beauty of The Court and all it contained.
Each successive ‘Lord of the Manor’, as her father was often called, had contributed to its notable collection of pictures, which had been started during the reign of Henry VIII and added to by every succeeding generation.
It was a Creswell who had helped James I to bring in the Entailment Act and this had preserved the collection from being severely depleted in the time of George IV.
Lord Creswell and his friends, such as the Earl of Coventry and other Peers, were throwing away their finest possessions at the gambling tables.
The Earl of Coventry had lost Coventry Street in London on one turn of the cards and many other Peers had lost their property in the same way.
When her father was hard-up, he had often said to Wenda,
“It’s a very good thing I cannot sell anything from the house. Otherwise my son would indeed have just cause to reproach me and so I imagine would you.”
“It would be awful, Papa, if we did not have the beautiful pictures to look at, and of course the silver which, as you have often told me, is unique.”
“The finest silver in England became ours at the time of George III,” stated Lord Creswell. “But I am quite certain it would have been dissipated by our ancestor who was notorious for making higher bets at White’s and other Clubs than anyone had ever done before!”
Wenda sighed.
“We could certainly do with that money now, Papa, especially as we need new horses.”
“The one thing I refuse to economise on,” he had replied, “is our horses. It is the only pleasure left to me and I intend to ride the best bred and the fastest until I am in the grave.”
Wenda had laughed, but he had indulged his wish, unfortunately leaving behind him debts and extravagant commitments that she and Robbie had attempted to meet during the last five years.
And they had not, Wenda thought with a sigh, been particularly successful.
She had now almost reached the front of the house and to her surprise she saw there was a man waiting by the steps leading up to the front door.
As she drew nearer she saw it was Donson, one of the younger men who worked on the land and also when required in the stables.
She thought from the expression on his face before she reached him that he had bad news to tell her and she wondered what could have occurred to upset him.
“Good morning, Donson,” she greeted him. “Are you waiting for me?”
“I am, Miss Wenda,” he replied.
She did not need to ask him if there was anything wrong.
“I’ve been told,” he began, “because I were late this mornin’, I be not needed no longer.”
Wenda gave a little cry.
“Oh, Donson! Who said that?”
She knew the answer even before she even asked.
It was Hatton the Factor, who was in charge of the land and was a rather difficult man to work with. He drove those under him hard and there was no doubt that he got more out of the land than anyone else would have done.
“Yon Mr. Hatton’s been at I for some time, Miss Wenda,” Donson answered. “And there be nothin’ I does that pleases ’im, you can be sure of that.”
“He has really told you, Donson, not to come back tomorrow?”
Donson nodded vigorously.
He was a nice looking man nearing twenty-five and on the whole a good worker, but Wenda, who called at all the cottages in the village, was aware he had difficulties at home.
Donson’s father was dead, his sisters were married and there was only he and a younger brother who was still at school to look after their mother, a helpless invalid who could not walk by herself and yet somehow she managed to cook their meals for them.
Wenda felt especially sorry for the boys as it meant, before they went to work or school, they had to help their mother dress and then place her into a chair so she could propel herself about the cottage.
“I’ve been a little late two or three times recently,” Donson was saying, “because me mother, as you knows, Miss Wenda, can’t dress ’erself and ’er be real poorly in the mornin’s and finds it hard to get out of bed.”
“Did you explain to Mr. Hatton that was why you were late this morning?”
“I tells ’im as I tells ’im before, but ’e won’t listen to me and be pleased of an excuse for me to go. And you knows as well as I does, Miss Wenda, that the cottage goes with the job and I’ve nowhere else to take Mother.”
Wenda knew that this was the truth.
At the same time she felt that pleading with Hatton would not be of any use. He had always disliked Donson who undoubtedly had a way of answering him back and he would have been pleased to find an excuse to be rid of him.
H
owever she felt, if only for his mother’s sake, she must do something to help the family.
The main difficulty was always the same – money.
It was hard enough to get Robbie to give her money for the food they ate at The Court when he was away and Wenda was sure it would be quite hopeless to ask him for more than he was providing already.
The only possession of her own was the jewellery that had belonged to her mother and she had thought when her mother died she would never sell it.
In fact she had firmly resisted various suggestions tentatively made by her brother that she should sell some of the jewels. Even so they were not much use to her and with the proceeds they could undoubtedly employ more people on the estate and in the house.
Wenda had consistently refused, but she knew now that the precious jewels would have to be sold if she was to help Donson.
“I understand, Donson,” she said quietly, “that you do not get on with Mr. Hatton, and of course I cannot go against his decision not to employ you on the estate.”
She saw his expression before she went on quickly,
“I shall employ you myself to work in the garden. Things have been too much for me lately and it always looked so beautiful when I was a child.”
“You means that, Miss Wenda, you’ll take I on as a gardener? You knows I’ll do my best for you and it’ll be a real joy to be away from that Mr. Hatton. He ’ates I and there be nothin’ I can do to please ’im.”
“Well you will have to work very hard to please me, Donson. You know as well as I do that the garden is in a real mess this spring and needs so much doing to it.”
“You leave it to I, Miss Wenda, and I’ll not let you down.”
Donson took a deep breath and added,
“I be real thankful, I be. It’d break Mother’s ’eart if her ’ad to go to the workhouse.”
“I know it would and you will stay in your cottage even though you will not be working on the estate. I will arrange it with Mr. Hatton and with his Lordship.”
“Well, all I can say, Miss Wenda, is that I thanks you, as I know me mother’ll thank you, from the bottom of her ’eart, and I’ll make that garden of yours a sight for sore eyes, that I promise you.”