The Mountain of Love Read online

  THE MOUNTAIN OF LOVE

  BARBARA CARTLAND

  www.barbaracartland.com

  Copyright © 2012 by Cartland Promotions

  First published on the internet in June 2012 by Barbaracartland.com

  ISBNs

  978-1-78213-184-7 - Epub

  978-1-78213-185-4 - Kindle

  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

  excerpt

  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  Her publishers finally could not keep up with this phenomenal output, so at her death she left 160 unpublished manuscripts, something again that no other author has ever achieved.

  Now the exciting news is that these 160 original unpublished Barbara Cartland books are ready for publication and they will be published by Barbaracartland.com exclusively on the internet, as the web is the best possible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 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 fo
r 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.

  “Life is rather like climbing a tall mountain. It always seems that you are making very little progress however hard you try. And then you arrive – you reach the top and you have achieved all you set out to do. Love is very much the same and it’s the same mountain!”

  Barbara Cartland

  CHAPTER ONE

  1882

  “You are the top of the class,” the Greek Master enthused, smiling. “I congratulate you.”

  He was addressing Kayla Forde, his best and most attentive pupil “I am so glad,” Kayla responded. “I love Greece and cannot read too much about the country.”

  “Have you ever been there?” the Master enquired.

  “I went there with my father when I was only six, but I remember it so vividly and I believe the beauty of Delphi is engraved permanently on my heart.”

  He clasped his hands together.

  “That is exactly how you should feel,” he cried, “and what the Greeks feel themselves.”

  Kayla picked up her books and left the schoolroom. The Master had called her back as the other pupils were leaving when the lesson ended.

  Kayla had found that the men and women who taught languages were more interesting to her than anyone else at the Convent.

  She was very well aware of why her mother had sent her there. It was because the Holy Convent of Santa Maria Magdalena in Florence was renowned as the best Finishing School for young ladies in the whole of Europe.

  Aristocrats from every country sent their daughters there and their brains were polished and honed before they appeared as debutantes in Society.

  Kayla’s mother had been determined that she should have the very best and Kayla had in fact expostulated before she went there,

  “It will cost too much, Mama, and we really cannot afford it.”

  “Nothing is too much for you to have a really good education, my darling Kayla,” her mother replied fervently.

  Because she was so positive that this Convent was where Kayla must go, they did not argue any further.

  At the same time Kayla was fully aware that since her father’s death they had to count every penny – except in their case it was not the pence they counted, as they were living in France, but every single centime.

  Kayla had had a very strange and unusual childhood.

  Her father, Lord Alastair Forde, was the second son of the Duke of Barningforde.

  He was very different from his elder brother, the Earl of Barne and his younger brother Lord David Forde.

  They were a very English family and so enjoyed the sports that were available on their father’s various estates.

  Their huge ancestral home in the rural County of Nottinghamshire provided them with the endless partridge and pheasant shooting the boys always enjoyed.

  There were also cricket matches in the summer in which all three brothers participated.

  At the Castle in Scotland there was salmon fishing and grouse shooting and all through the summer there were the horses that ran under the Duke’s colours at Newmarket, Epsom and Ascot.

  For some reason that no one in the family could understand, Lord Alastair was a talented artist.

  Even when he was small, he appreciated the beautiful pictures in his home and, as soon as he could hold a pencil, he drew the flowers in the garden, the blossom on the trees and the carp swimming in the lake.

  It was an interest his brothers teased him about and his father despised.

  When he was old enough to do what he wanted, he spent a great deal of his time in the art galleries of London and he seldom missed an exhibition.

  It was inevitable that he should be drawn to France.

  The modern trends in art in Paris at that time were laughed at scornfully and most people preferred their art to be ultra-conventional. But the Impressionists, as they were called, attracted Lord Alastair just like a bee to a honey pot and he was soon spending more of his time in Montmartre than he did at home.

  The Duke merely shrugged his shoulders.

  He did not think about Alastair more than he could help and he had plenty to occupy his mind in running his vast estates.

  His heir, the Earl of Barne, was considering marriage, because it was essential for him to produce a son and heir.

  Then, like a bombshell, Alastair announced that he was intending to marry a woman he had met in Paris.

  That she was unknown to the family and obviously not accepted in the Social world that the Duke moved in was bad enough.

  But, when he learned that she was a singer, the Duke flew into a furious rage.

  He sent for Alastair immediately and he came back from Paris reluctantly.

  When he arrived at Forde Hall, he was aware, as he entered the front door, that he was walking into a lion’s den.

  The Duke had ordered that the moment he arrived, he should be brought to his study.

  It was a very impressive room, hung with pictures that Alastair had always admired, but now he found them too conventional and had no wish to follow their traditional style.

  The Duke, looking very fierce, was seated behind a Regency writing table with its flat top.

  When his son was announced, he did not stand up.

  He waited for Alastair to cross the room and held out his hand over the desk.

  “Sit down,” the Duke ordered him.

  There was an armchair placed conveniently facing his father and Alastair sat down on it.

  He was an exceedingly good-looking young man and at twenty-six he was actually taller and more handsome than his brothers.

  “Now what is all this nonsense,” the Duke began, “about you marrying an actress, my boy?”

  “I am not thinking of marrying an actress, Papa,” replied Alastair. “Grace Stewart has an exceptionally fine soprano voice and sings at concerts that are attended by many musicians and lovers of Classical music.”

  “If she is on a stage and people pay to see her,” the Duke retorted angrily, “then she is an actress and I will not have an actress in my family. I forbid you to have any more to do with her, Alastair.”

  “I am afraid that is impossible, Papa – ” “Nothing is impossible,” the Duke interrupted. “You will do as you are told and I will have no more arguments about it.”

  “I was somewhat afraid, Papa, that that would be your attitude,” replied Alastair. “So Grace and I were married in Paris the day before I left!”

  There was a moment’s silence.

  Then the Duke, crimson in the face, brought down his fist violently on the desk.

  “How dare you do anything so outrageous as to marry without my consent?” he shouted. “You are my son, you bear my name and it is only right and proper that I should have been consulted.”

  “I knew exactly what your attitude would be, Papa. It would have been impossible to make you understand that I love Grace deeply and I know that she loves me and we will be very happy together.”

  The Duke recognised at once that he could not forbid a marriage that had already taken place.

  Instead he told his son that he would not allow him to bring his wife to England and they must consider themselves exiled.

  “I will allow you two thousand pounds a year as long as you remain out of this country,” he snarled. “But if you return, I will give you nothing! Is that clear?”

  “Absolutely clear, Papa, and I am only sorry that you should be so distressed. Equally I just cannot contemplate life without the woman I love.”

  “Love! Love!” screamed the Duke. “What does an actress know about love? She is doubtless marrying you for your title and the money she thinks I am going to give you!”

  Alastair did not answer.

  His father carried on relentlessly,

  “You will find that she will soon regret marrying
you when she realises how little you can give her. Let me make it quite clear, there will be no more so long as she remains with you as your wife.”

  Alastair rose to his feet.

  “You have made that very clear, Papa,” he said. “I only feel sorry that you cannot understand how much I need Grace and how it is impossible for me to be happy without her.”

  He spoke with dignity.

  Then, as the Duke remained silent, he added,

  “If we don’t meet again, I can only thank you for my very happy childhood. I shall miss my brothers and I shall also miss you, Papa. If my mother was still alive, I think she would have understood that I must have a life of my own and that this is the path I have chosen.”

  He did not wait for his father’s reply, but walked from the room.

  He ran up the long ornate staircase.

  He told one of the servants to pack some of his things that he needed to take away with him.

  There were clothes, books and pictures he had painted before he left England and he knew that everything would be destroyed if he left them behind.

  Then, when all was ready, he walked downstairs.

  The only person he actually said goodbye to and who was there in the hall to see him off was the butler.

  He was a man he had known since he was a boy.

  “Take care of yourself, my Lord,” the elderly servant sighed. “We shall all miss you.”

  “And I shall miss you and my home,” Lord Alastair answered, “but there is nothing else I can do.”

  He did not wait for a reply but climbed into the post-chaise.

  It had brought him to Forde Hall and now it drove him away into permanent exile.

  He looked back at the fast disappearing home he had loved so much all his life and tears slowly began to fill his eyes.

  *

  Lord Alastair and Grace travelled all over the world so that he could paint, as it was something he had always wanted to do.

  His pictures were not at all saleable, as, just like the Impressionists, he was painting in a new way that people did not yet understand or appreciate.

  Grace admired his work enormously and recognised his very considerable talent. However, they had to be very careful how they spent the allowance that arrived every quarter from England.