Danger in the Desert Read online

  Danger in the Desert

  BARBARA CARTLAND

  www.barbaracartland.com

  Copyright © 2007 by Cartland Promotions

  First published on the internet in January 2008 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.

  eBook conversion by M-Y Books

  Danger in the Desert

  As Malva opened the door of her cabin, she then hesitated for a moment wondering whether she should ask Royden to release the trapped bird instead of going on deck herself.

  Then she told herself that he would be fast asleep and it would be unnecessary to wake him, especially as she herself was now so awake.

  She moved slowly towards the companionway and walked out on deck without making a sound.

  There was, she knew, usually a seaman on duty, but she had suspected long ago that when they were in Port he slept because it was so quiet.

  Her cabin was halfway along the deck and she had no difficulty in finding it from above and then leant over the rail.

  She saw the bird fluttering frantically beneath her.

  As she looked down, she could see that its leg was attached quite firmly to the side of the porthole.

  She knelt down and bent forward to cut him loose with her pair of scissors.

  As she did so, a heavy cloth was thrown over her head and she was lifted up from the deck.

  A strong man was holding her in his arms.

  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

  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 & Gentle

  An Archangel Called Ivan

  A Prisoner in Paris

 
Danger in the Desert

  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.

  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 is so beautiful that the glory of the Himalayas and the majesty of the Taj Mahal come nowhere near its perfection.”

  Barbara Cartland

  CHAPTER ONE

  1870

  The Earl of Hillingwood climbed out of his carriage outside White’s Club in St. James’s Street and walked up the steps.

  The Club porter was standing by the door and he bowed politely and greeted him,

  “Good morning, your Lordship, it’s very nice to see you back at the Club.”

  “I am very delighted to be here, Jasper,” the Earl replied. “London seems at its best this time of the year.”

  He did not wait for the porter to say anything more, but walked straight into the coffee room.

  As it was fairly early in the day, there were only a few members sitting around talking to each other.

  The Earl walked almost to the far end of the room where he found his habitual seat and then settled himself comfortably into it.

  He had not been there for more than a few minutes when he was joined by his old friend, Lord Waverstone, who called out as he reached him,

  “You are always over-punctual, Edward, and now you will tell me I am late!”

  The Earl laughed and countered,

  “No, but, as you say, I am somewhat over-punctual and you are exactly on time!”

  “I was wondering when I heard from you,” Lord Waverstone said, “why you were coming to London when I am sure that your garden has never looked more beautiful in the spring and your horses are doubtless running faster than ever.”

  The Earl laughed again.

  “I want to see you, Arthur” he began slowly, “on a matter that deeply concerns me and I think also concerns you.”

  Lord Waverstone looked surprised.

  But he merely settled down in a seat next to his friend and signalled to a Steward.

  When the man reached him, he ordered a large pot of coffee.

  “You are very abstemious,” the Earl remarked. “Is this a new departure?”

  “No, it is only a precaution,” his friend replied. “I have to go to a large luncheon party today and if I start drinking now I will undoubtedly feel ill this evening, when I have yet another party to attend.”

  The Earl smiled.

  “You have always been the same, but I am quite certain that, if you are making a speech at both events, you will undoubtedly have to pay for what you eat and what you drink.”

  “That unfortunately is the truth,” Lord Waverstone replied. “The trouble is that people today are too lazy to find other performers, so I am continually in demand!”

  “Now you are being over-modest,” the Earl chided. “You know as well as I do that no one speaks better than you in the House of Lords. As Queen Victoria said to me the other day, you have a presence which in her opinion most of the young men lack.”

  “I am delighted to accept the compliment. Now tell me, Edward, why you have asked me here to meet you? I have a feeling, although I am not sure, that something may well be wrong.”

  “Not wrong, but I have been considering for a long time, as I think you know, that it is absolutely essential that Royden, my one and only son and heir, should get married. So I have decided that you are the only person who can help me.”

  Lord Waverstone looked at him in bewilderment.

  But he then merely asked of his old friend,

  “In what way?”

  As if he had not spoken, the Earl went on,

  “Royden is now twenty-eight and, as I have pointed out continually, it is time he married and settled down and produced an heir, in fact several of them.”

  Lord Waverstone had heard this before.

  “I know your feelings on this matter,” he replied, “but Royden is a great success in the Social world and his affaires-de-coeur seldom last very long as he much prefers to move from beauty to beauty as if he was a honeybee.”

  He paused for a moment before he continued,

  “The husbands go fishing or look the other way and Royden can then add another triumph to his considerable collection!”

  There was a very distinct touch of humour in Lord Waverstone’s voice as he spoke.

  But the Earl did not even smile.

  He only parried,

  “Let me be frank with you, Arthur, I am not as well as I used to be and I am determined to make sure that my Family Tree does not end abruptly as it might easily do.”

  “My dear Edward, I am sure that you are talking nonsense,” Lord Waverstone said. “You are a very healthy man and I can see no reason why you should not live for another twenty years at least.”

  The Earl shook his head.

  “It’s not as easy as that, I only wish it was. I have been told by the doctors to go steady and as you can guess that means no riding. I will also have to give up my yearly trips abroad which I always find so enjoyable.”

  “I am deeply sorry to hear that,” Lord Waverstone answered, “I know how much you enjoy going to France and Switzerland. And I always thought that you came back better for the change of air and even a change of friends.”

  “I have no friend I can depend on in the same way as I depend on you” the Earl replied. “Therefore, Arthur, you must help me because what I want more than anything else concerns you as much as it concerns me.”

  Lord Waverstone raised one eyebrow.

  But instead of asking questions, he suggested,

  “Go on, Edward. You know I am listening.”

  For a moment there was silence.

  And then the Earl said,

  “I have begged Royden, almost on bended knee, to marry, but he merely tells me that there is plenty of time for that in the future and he finds young women boring, in fact he dislikes the whole idea of being married.”

  As Lord Waverstone knew how handsome Royden was and how easily so many beauties fell into his arms, he could understand why he had no wish to be hurried up the aisle with a young girl.

  In a short time he might find that she had nothing new to offer him and would become dull and dreary in his eyes.

  However, it was not the sort of comment he could make to his friend.

  So he merely replied,
<
br />   “I am very sorry to hear that you are not as strong as you would like to be, Edward, but take life easy and you will doubtless live to be a centenarian.”

  “I am serious, Arthur, in what I am about to say,” the Earl said sharply. “Therefore I want you to use your brain to help me, as I would help you if you needed it in any emergency.”

  “Of course I will help you, Edward, if that is what you want, but I doubt if Royden will listen to me any more than he will listen to you. He is enjoying life and who can blame him? It is what we would certainly have done at his age and you and I cannot deny that that is the truth.”

  Even as he spoke, he felt that he was being slightly tactless.

  His friend’s wife, who, in his opinion, had been a somewhat dull woman, had died four years ago.

  She had considerably disappointed her husband in that she was only able to give him one child and that was Royden.

  It was rather strange that the two men, who were close neighbours, as their estates bordered each other, had both suffered in the same way over their marriages.

  The Earl had married a girl who had seemed, at the time, an exceedingly good choice.

  After they were married and had produced the one precious son, she had found it impossible to have another child. She had gone from doctor to doctor, but they could only tell her that there was nothing they could do to help her.

  Because he was so close friend of the Earl’s and they were neighbours in the country, he knew, as no one else knew, how much the Earl suffered at the thought of his illustrious family, who had played such an important part in the history of England for the last three centuries, losing their immense influence through lack of an heir.

  For the past ten years the present Earl had always been in attendance on the Queen at Windsor Castle.

  And only when he had retired to the country did he begin to worry about his son’s marriage.

  He had become almost obsessed by the idea that Royden must marry and have a large number of children in case the name died out and the huge ancestral home was empty.

  Lord Waverstone drank a little more of his coffee before he observed,

  “I cannot believe, Edward, that you have come up from the country especially to tell me what I know already. What other news have you to surprise me with?”