The Triumph of Love Read online

  “Then I’ll manage without. Money or no money, I will not marry a man I do not love and who does not love me for myself.”

  “Peter will love you,” he replied impatiently, “you need not worry about that. His father will not only make you one of the richest couples in England, but as he told me himself, when he dies, every penny he possesses – and I can assure you that it is an enormous amount – will be inherited by Peter.”

  He paused and as Selina did not speak he went on,

  “You can shine in Society. Everyone will want to come to your parties, even Royalty.”

  There was silence whilst Selina started at him.

  At last she responded,

  “Do you really believe that kind of life, exciting though it sounds, would be worth marrying a man I do not know? Who can scarcely want to marry me when he has never even met me?”

  “He has heard all about you,” her stepfather replied. “His father not only told him how important you are, but also that you are so beautiful. I gave him a painting, which was in your mother’s bedroom, to show that we were not exaggerating your beauty.

  “Although it was painted over three years ago, you are fifty times better looking today than you were then.”

  Selina rose and walked to the window standing with her back to her stepfather. She knew by the lilt in his voice that this arrangement meant a great deal to him.

  He was obviously determined that she should do what he wanted.

  From the very moment he had married her mother, he had always expected that anything he demanded should be his. He had his own way about everything – always.

  He had clearly discussed this with Peter Turner’s father and together they would insist on having their own way. No amount of protestations would ever be listened to or even considered.

  Thinking back, she remembered that on the day he had left for Portsmouth he had seemed agitated. For once his mind had not been solely on business, which usually concerned him more than anything else. There had also been something new and curious in the way he looked at her and spoke to her.

  But she could not have possibly imagined then the monstrous idea that he had just put before her.

  She turned round to face him, ready for battle. But for the moment it seemed that he would try another tack.

  “Now come along. Let’s have no more foolishness. I want you to tell me that you are a little grateful to me and looking forward to the exciting life I’ve provided for you.”

  “I cannot agree,” she replied gravely. “I want to be married when I am in love. Money alone is not enough to make any woman happy.”

  “Nonsense! Nonsense! All women require money! You like pretty dresses don’t you?”

  “I hardly think that any dresses are enough to make a happy marriage,” Selina retorted. “I have no intention of marrying anyone unless I love him as much as Mama loved my Papa.”

  She spoke out bravely even though she felt a little quiver go through her as her stepfather’s eyes darkened and he stared at her with a furious expression that made her shiver.

  “You’ll damned well do as you are told!” he said sharply. His voice rose almost to a scream. “You will be rich! Rich! Horses, carriages, a house in London, parties.”

  Seeing no hint of any interest in her face, he grew angrier, the words almost tumbling over themselves.

  “What more could you ever desire? God knows most women would go down on their knees and thank Heaven itself for such an opportunity.”

  Then Selina countered,

  “It is just not enough. I want love. The real love that cannot be bought with money.”

  “That is the sort of damned silly thing you would say,” her stepfather shouted. “You will do as you are told! Peter is coming here tomorrow to propose to you and you will accept him!

  “If you try to disobey me, I will beat you all the way to the Church.”

  With that he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

  Selina put her hand up to her forehead.

  Then, as she felt suddenly weak with the horror of it all, she collapsed onto a sofa.

  She was trembling.

  Her stepfather had now finally revealed himself as the bully he really was.

  Next she jumped up and hurried out of the room.

  Then she started to run as fast as she could down the passage, out through the door and into the garden.

  Only when she had reached the thickness of the orchard did she stop running. She sat down on a fallen tree and put her hands up to her face.

  The sun was shining and the birds were singing, but all she could think of was the terrible scene she had just endured and the ugliness of John Gardner’s mind.

  ‘Whatever can I do?’ she asked herself. ‘How can I avoid it?’

  But when she asked herself the question again, she knew there was only one answer.

  She must run away and hide.

  *

  Tempting though it was to grab her belongings and leave immediately, Selina had always been instructed by her father and mother to think things over and never to act impulsively.

  So she began by going to her room, sitting down, and thinking hard about what she meant to do.

  But however hard she thought about it, she always came back to the same answer – leave. There really was only one way to avoid the horror planned for her and that was to disappear.

  And she must act quickly.

  If Peter Turner was coming tomorrow, then she must leave tonight.

  She heard a noise from below and looked out of her bedroom window to see her stepfather departing in a chaise.

  To her relief she recalled that he was attending a meeting this evening with the Lord Lieutenant concerning various charities. He was always generous to charities as a way of elevating his own importance, so he would be away for hours.

  Now was her chance.

  Hurriedly she began to pack some things together.

  Then she went into her mother’s room. Because she did not know if she would ever be able to return, she decided to take a memento. Not her expensive jewels which had been given to her by John Gardner, but her wedding ring, which dear Papa had put on her hand.

  Back in her own room, she looked through her jewel box and discarded the fine gifts her stepfather had given to her. She wanted as little of his as possible.

  He had sometimes given her money, not so much in a kindly way, but like a man tossing a bone to a dog.

  Selina had passed on much of the money to charity, but his last present lay where she had left it. She took it, promising herself that one day she would give it back.

  From the jewel box she took only a silver necklace that had been her mother’s when Papa was alive.

  There were now quite a lot of packed cases and she wondered how she could possibly spirit them away without attracting too much attention.

  She went to the stables and found the old groom.

  “What can I do for you, Miss Selina?” he enquired, smiling. “Surely you don’t want to go ridin’ at this hour?”

  “No, I want to take the dog cart,” she said, hating to lie to the old man who had only ever showed her kindness. “I am visiting a friend and taking some clothes to be sold at the charity bazaar in a week or so.”

  “Very well, miss. Do you want me to drive you?”

  “Thank you, but I would prefer to drive myself. It’s not far.”

  She hurried back upstairs and dressed herself in her travelling gown.

  She summoned one of her stepfather’s footmen to take her bags and then she found the dog cart ready with her cases in the back.

  The groom made one more attempt to persuade her to let him drive, but she smiled and refused firmly.

  Then she made her escape while she still could.

  She moved swiftly along the road and there seemed to be very little traffic about.

  ‘I love the country,’ thought Selina, ‘but if I hide in London, it may be much more difficult for hi
m to find me. And that is all that matters. So, it must be London.’

  As soon as possible she turned off the beaten track, avoiding the villages where she would be known.

  When the hue and cry began, the fewer people who had seen her, the better.

  After two long hours she was thinking that sooner or later she must begin to look for a place to stay the night.

  She drove down quite a narrow lane on which there were practically no cottages. Enjoying the peace and quiet, she was suddenly aware that there were three men on horseback just ahead of her.

  She slowed the dog cart down and was just wondering who they were and if by chance they would recognise her, when she realised that they were wearing masks.

  With a feeling of shock and fear, she realised that they were highwaymen.

  If only she could turn round and go back! But the lane was too narrow.

  Now it was too late to do anything. She could only pull in her horse as two of them blocked the road in front of her.

  One of the men spoke first and ordered the others,

  “Open this ’ere gate and take the lady with ’er dog cart into the field!”

  “What – do you want?” Selina asked nervously.

  She realised they were all set on robbing her. They would take her money and maybe her luggage, leaving her with nothing and no means of making her escape.

  As they entered the field, the one who had given the orders came alongside and demanded,

  “All right, where’s the money. Hand it over.”

  “I am afraid – I have practically nothing – because I am merely going out to dinner – with some friends.”

  The man looked into the dog cart and remarked,

  “With three cases! If you ask me you’re goin’ away for an ’oliday and ’olidays are expensive.”

  “Oh, please, please don’t stop me,” begged Selina. “I’m really very hard up.”

  “So are we,” the highwayman replied with a laugh. “And our problems are more important to us than yours.”

  But even as he spoke, there was the sound of a gun being fired, which resounded through the trees.

  As the highwaymen all turned round to look, a man riding a horse and carrying a gun came towards them.

  “Now, I told you boys,” he called out, as he drew up beside them, “that I would not have you robbing people on my land.”

  “We didn’t mean to be on your land, my Lord,” the chief highwayman replied. “But the gate was open and, as you knows, us don’t want to be seen on the road.”

  “Be off with all of you,” the stranger ordered them sternly.

  The highwayman suddenly did not seem so fierce as he hesitated for a moment. Then he said hopefully,

  “We’ll all pretty hungry, my Lord.”

  “All right then. Here’s money. Go get yourselves something to eat and stay off my land.”

  “Thank you, thank you very much, my Lord.”

  Then without saying anything further all three of the highwaymen trotted away and Selina was left staring.

  “Thank you,” she stammered. “I was so scared they would rob me of everything. But didn’t you want to turn them over to the law?”

  The man laughed.

  “It would only make a bad situation worse. They are just young boys and basically harmless. They don’t carry weapons. If they did, I would turn them over to the law. But they are bored and cannot obtain any work, so they become ‘highwaymen’. It’s mostly a game to them.

  “They are not very good at it and I usually end up paying for their supper.”

  “I think it is very kind of you, sir, and I am very grateful you came when you did.”

  “If you ask me it is a mistake for you to be driving about late at night and the sooner you go home the better.”

  As she regarded him, she realised that he was exceedingly good-looking and obviously a gentleman.

  Just the same, she thought, it was strange he should be so kind to the highwaymen.

  “The real fact is, I am running away,” she confided. “Can you tell me where there is a respectable inn where I might stay the night?”

  “Running away!” he exclaimed. “Why should you be doing that?”

  Selina hesitated and then she responded,

  “Because I have to. I just can’t tell you any more. Please don’t press me.”

  “But you really cannot travel alone like this, all by yourself!”

  “I didn’t dare ask anyone to come with me in case they betrayed me.”

  “You’re a positive invitation to robbers and the next time it may not be a schoolboy prank. It’s getting late and I don’t really know of a respectable inn, except one several miles away.”

  “Can you direct me please?”

  “I have no intention of doing so. I don’t want you on my conscience. I think that I should take you home and keep you safe until tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, sir, but I really don’t think I can go home with you,” Selina asserted quickly.

  “You’re perfectly right to be careful,” said the man. “But my housekeeper, who is a dear old woman, will act as your chaperone.”

  “Where do you live?” she asked cautiously.

  Although he had the manners and air of a gentleman what she could make out of his clothes in the fast fading light seemed rough, even a little shabby.

  “At Castleton Hall,” he replied. “It’s only a couple of miles from here.”

  “Castleton – ?” she wrinkled her pretty brow, trying to recall the name.

  “The home of the Marquis of Castleton.”

  “But won’t he mind you taking me to his home?”

  “I promise you that nobody shall trouble you?”

  “Well, I expect it’s a very big place and you could hide me away so that he would never know.”

  “It is certainly a very big place,” he agreed gravely. “Too big for one man. Let’s be on our way.”

  “You are very kind. Are you quite certain I am not being an encumbrance?”

  “Not at all. I was not looking forward to talking to myself at dinner and it will be more interesting to hear your story.”

  Selina laughed.

  “That will take a little time.”

  “Then I shall look forward to it. Follow me.”

  He turned his horse round and Selina followed him.

  ‘This is surely such an adventure,’ she told herself, ‘and one I never expected in my wildest dreams.’

  CHAPTER TWO

  They passed over several fields. Then through the trees she could see a magnificent house.

  It was obviously ancient and seemed most attractive with tall trees towering behind it and the garden filled with brilliant flowers.

  As they drew nearer, Selina could see there was a stream at the bottom of the garden that ended behind a small wood.

  Her rescuer crossed the stream over an old bridge before turning right towards the back of the house. Selina following him, realised they were making for the stables.

  She was safe.

  In her heart she felt it must be her mother and father who had led her into safety, at least for tonight whatever tomorrow might bring.

  The moment they entered the stables, two grooms ran to her dog cart and as she climbed out, another servant appeared who was obviously a footman, as he was wearing livery.

  He began to take down her cases and walked away with them in the direction of the house.

  Her host indicated for her to follow him, but they did not, as she expected, go to the rear of the great house. Instead he headed towards the front door.

  “Will it be all right to go in this way?” she asked, not wanting him to get into trouble.

  He gave her a kindly smile and she thought what a pleasant face he had.

  “I think so,” he answered.

  Selina thought that the house was one of the most delightful and impressive places she had ever seen.

  She had visited a number of great houses when
her mother had been alive, yet this one was even more beautiful than any she had ever seen before.

  There were flowers growing around the front of the house and clematis, already in full bloom, was climbing up over the door.

  The moment they appeared, the door opened.

  When Selina walked in, she saw that there was not only a butler waiting for them but four footmen wearing a very smart livery.

  There was no sign of her luggage and she imagined the men who had taken it from the stables had handed it in at the back door and it would be waiting for her upstairs.

  Almost as if she had said it aloud, her rescuer now suggested,

  “I expect, as you have been driving for quite some time, you would like to wash and change before dinner.”

  “That sounds delightful,” she replied. “I have been driving for too long.”

  “There is no hurry,” he told her, “and Newton, the butler, will show you to your room.

  Selina smiled at him,

  “Thank you very much.”

  “Don’t hurry. I am certain that you will enjoy your dinner here – much more than wherever you were thinking of dining!”

  “You know the answer to that question and once again let me say I am very grateful to you.”

  She followed the butler up the stairs and when they reached the first floor, he pointed to a large door.

  She saw as she entered that the windows looked out over the garden and as she gazed around, she gasped aloud.

  The room was simply staggering. There was a vast four-poster bed with golden hangings of silk brocade.

  Two young maids came in and gave bob curtseys before starting to unpack her bags and hang up her clothes.

  Then they carried in a large jug of warm water, with which she could wash, and helped her to undress.

  The water seemed to wash away not only the dust that had fallen on her when she was driving, but some of the anxiety as to what would happen when her stepfather found she had disappeared.

  ‘At least,’ she mused, ‘he would not, even in his wildest imagination, think of me being so comfortable here!’

  She laughed to herself.

  ‘It seems quite extraordinary that I am now staying in this house with a man whose name I don’t know!’

  She almost asked the maids to tell her who was the owner of the house.