“I cannot – marry – him,” Clarinda whispered.
“You mean that he has not yet asked you,” Lord Melburne suggested. “That is easy, you have only to tell me who he is and if he is not on the long list of those who you have already refused, I will speak to him. I am certain that I can contrive that you are happily united within a very short space of time.”
“N-no – no!” Clarinda cried. “Y-you don’t – understand.”
“What do I not understand?” he enquired in the tone of someone dealing with a difficult child.
“He – does – not care for – me.”
“You are sure of that?” Lord Melburne asked.
“Quite – sure.”
“I would like to be convinced of this myself,” Lord Melburne said. “You have been so involved in so many tangles, Clarinda, that I just cannot trust your instinct in this. Look, for instance, at how you misunderstood me, or rather was taken in by Jessica Tansley’s lies. Tell me this most enviable young man’s name. I am sure without any difficulty that I can persuade him to go down on his knees in front of you.”
“No – no,” Clarinda pleaded, turning to the window again. “Please don’t – press me, my Lord – it is something I – cannot speak about – I will be all right – and I will find myself a Guardian and someone to chaperone me. I have – no wish to be – married. I will stay at The Priory – as I always meant to do after Uncle Roderick died.”
“You think you would be happy there?” Lord Melburne enquired.
“There is no need to – trouble yourself about – me, my Lord, I will arrange something.”
“It does not seem to me very satisfactory,” Lord Melburne remarked slowly. “You see, Clarinda, I have become tremendously involved with all your problems in these past weeks. I cannot leave you unattended and unprotected and so, before I see to my own affairs, I must find you a husband.”
“I don’t – want a – husband,” Clarinda protested and now her voice broke on the words. “There is no one I can – marry, no one I have met in – London, so please don’t think of it.”
“I have thought,” Lord Melburne said slowly, “although I may be mistaken, that it was someone you had met in the country, Clarinda.”
For a moment Clarinda was frozen into immobility.
“What – makes you – think that?” she asked evasively, as she felt that he was waiting for an answer.
“I think I know all the men who danced attendance on you in London,” Lord Melburne replied, “and yet there is somebody who has made you cry, someone you have wept for night after night. Who is he, Clarinda?”
“It is not true – who has been – telling you such things?” she asked brokenly and then she closed her eyes.
Next she gave a little gasp, for she felt his hands on her shoulders as he turned her round to face him.
“Must you go on lying?” he asked. “Look at me, Clarinda!”
For a moment she resisted him before she opened her eyes filled with tears and looked into his.
“My poor, unhappy little love,” he said softly. “I am a brute to tease you, but you have made me suffer so excruciatingly these past weeks that I wanted to punish you just a little.”
For a few moments she could only stare at him, tears blinding her eyes, feeling that she must be dreaming.
“Do you really think that I could marry anyone else?” Lord Melburne asked, “or let you marry anyone but me?”
“What are you – saying to – me?” Clarinda whispered.
There was a strange excited feeling tingling over her, a feeling that made her tremble, but not with fear.
“I am trying to tell you, my dearest sweetest heart, that I love you and you have driven me nearly insane. I don’t think any man should have to go through the torture you have made me suffer these past few weeks, when I have watched every man you met dangling after you, proposing to you, wanting to love you, while I dared not even look at you.”
“You ignored – me,” she whispered. “You never – spoke to me, you never – asked me to – dance.”
“Do you not realise, my foolish love,” he asked, “that if I had so much as touched you I would have taken you in my arms and kissed you as I kissed you once before. It has been an inexpressible agony to see you looking so beautiful and to know that you were not for me.”
His fingers tightened on her shoulders until they hurt.
“Just how could you built that impossible ridiculous barrier between us? I have walked about my room night after night saying the words ‘Jessica Tansley? Jessica Tansley?’ until I think they are engraved on my heart. I thought that she must have meant something in my past and yet my memory was blank. She stood like an angel with a flaming torch between me and my only hope of happiness. Clarinda, how could you be such a nitwit as to believe her?”
“Forgive me – please – forgive me.”
Her eyes were looking up at his, her lips were parted a little and her breath was coming quickly between them and, because she looked so entrancingly lovely, he gave a little sound that was half a groan, half a cry of triumph and then swept her closely and crushingly into his arms.
His lips were on hers and he kissed her wildly and passionately with the desperation of a man who thought he had lost all that mattered most to him in the world.
When, after a long time, he raised his head it was to look down into her face, flushed and glowing with a radiance that he had never seen before.
“I love you,” he said hoarsely. “Oh, God, how I love you! And to think that it was only last night after you had left me that I decided I must go abroad.”
“Go abroad!” she cried. “But why?”
“Because I could not bear to be near you any longer and not hold you like this, not kiss you and not beg you to marry me,” he answered. “Can you not understand, Clarinda, what I have been through, wanting you, thinking that my love was in vain and believing you spoke the truth when you said you hated me?”
“I don’t think that I ever hated you after I came to know you. And then I – loved you – I loved you – so much that I was – afraid of myself.”
“And yet you remained loyal to that idiotic, deceitful over-imaginative friend of yours?”
“I thought you did not – love me,” Clarinda replied. “I thought I should find myself like all the other women who loved you, who found you – irresistible and who – bored you.”
She shivered and looked into his face.
“I am afraid that – I too might bore you?”
He tightened his hold on her so violently that she cried out with the pain of it.
“You are never to think of such a thing,” he said fiercely. “It is impossible that we shall ever be bored with each other and I will tell you why.”
He kissed her forehead.
“First, my darling, because you have such an exciting brain, although Grandmama thinks it is most regrettable. It will I do know keep us talking, arguing and perhaps even quarrelling occasionally for the rest of our lives.”
He bent and kissed her eyes.
“Secondly, my most adorable one, you have already mapped out a programme that will keep me occupied for years. Because of you I intend to go into Politics and if as a Politician’s wife you complain that you have too much to do, it will be entirely your own fault.”
He kissed her lips before she could reply and then, close against her mouth, he said,
“Lastly, my lovely one, I adore you as I have never adored anyone in the whole of my life. I never knew that love could be like this. I have never felt for any woman what I feel for you. I think that for every man, there is in his heart a shrine where he places his ideal woman. You are in my shrine, Clarinda, and there you will remain. My love, my guide and inspiration and most important of all, my wife!”
He sought her lips and his kiss was gentle and had something reverent in it.
Then he asked her softly,
“Is that what you want of me, Clarinda?”
“You know it is,” she whispered. “You know all I want is your love – because Buck, I love – you until there is – nothing left in the world – but my love for you – I cannot think of anything else. I only know that – my heart belongs to your – heart and I want to be – married to you – and to belong to you.”
“How soon will you marry me?” Lord Melburne asked. “Tonight?”
“H-how could – w-we?” Clarinda stammered.
“Very easily,” he answered. “Grandmama said something only this morning that made me hope that you did not hate me as much as I feared. So before I left London I obtained a Special Licence.”
“Oh, how – wonderful!” Clarinda breathed.
“Then shall we be married later this evening in the Private Chapel?” he asked.
“I want – more than anything in the world – to be your wife,” Clarinda answered, “and – to be – safe.”
“You will always be safe in my arms, my darling. There will be no more terror, no more fears for you by night or by day. You will be close to me and if any man so much as looks at you, I swear I will kill him. You are mine, do you hear me? Mine!”
His arms tightened about her and his lips, passionate, masterful and possessive, captured hers.
The whole world seemed to be filled with sunshine and celestial music, which swept them into a Heaven all of their own.
They were now one person, close, united and joined by a love that Clarinda knew would be with them forever and ever in this life and many other lives yet to come.
When he then raised his head, Lord Melburne saw that her eyelids were for the first time heavy with the passion he had aroused in her and deep in her eyes there was a flame that echoed the fire in his.
“Oh, my wonderful glorious darling,” she whispered tremulously, her breath coming quickly between her lips. “It is not very original – but I find you – irresistible.”
“Is that not lucky?” he replied, his voice was deep with desire, but she heard a hint of laughter in it, “because, my beloved adorable sweetheart, I find you completely irresistible too!”
OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
The Barbara Cartland Eternal Collection is the unique opportunity to collect as ebooks all five hundred of the timeless beautiful romantic novels written by the world’s most celebrated and enduring romantic author.
Named the Eternal Collection because Barbara’s inspiring stories of pure love, just the same as love itself, the books will be published on the internet at the rate of four titles per month until all five hundred are available.
The Eternal Collection, classic pure romance available worldwide for all time .
Elizabethan Lover
The Little Pretender
A Ghost in Monte Carlo
A Duel of Hearts
The Saint and the Sinner
The Penniless Peer
The Proud Princess
The Dare-Devil Duke
Diona and a Dalmatian
A Shaft of Sunlight
Lies for Love
Love and Lucia
Love and the Loathsome Leopard
Beauty or Brains
The Temptation of Torilla
The Goddess and the Gaiety Girl
Fragrant Flower
Look Listen and Love
The Duke and the Preacher’s Daughter
A Kiss for the King
The Mysterious Maid-servant
Lucky Logan Finds Love
The Wings of Ecstacy
Mission to Monte Carlo
Revenge of the Heart
The Unbreakable Spell
Never Laugh at Love
Bride to a Brigand
Lucifer and the Angel
Journey to a Star
Solita and the Spies
The Chieftain Without a Heart
No Escape from Love
Dollars for the duke
Pure and Untouched
Secrets
Fire in the Blood
Love, Lies and Marriage
The Ghost who Fell in Love
Hungry for Love
The Wild Cry of Love
The Blue-eyed Witch
The Punishment of a Vixen
The Secret of the Glen
Bride to the King
For All Eternity
King in Love
A Marriage made in Heaven
Who can deny Love?
Riding to the Moon
Wish for Love
Dancing on a Rainbow
Gypsy Magic
Love in the Clouds
Count the Stars
White Lilac
Too Precious to Lose
The Devil Defeated
An Angel Runs Away
The Duchess Disappeared
The Pretty Horse-breakers
The Prisoner of Love
Ola and the Sea Wolf
The Castle made for Love
A Heart is Stolen
The Love Pirate
As Eagles Fly
The Magic of Love
Love Leaves at Midnight
A Witch’s Spell
Love Comes West
The Impetuous Duchess
A Tangled Web
Love lifts the Curse
Saved By A Saint
Love is Dangerous
The Poor Governess
The Peril and the Prince
A Very Unusual Wife
Say Yes Samantha
Punished with love
A Royal Rebuke
The Husband Hunters
Signpost To Love
Love Forbidden
Gift Of the Gods
The Outrageous Lady
The Slaves Of Love
The Disgraceful Duke
The Unwanted Wedding
Lord Ravenscar’s Revenge
From Hate to Love
A Very Naughty Angel
The Innocent Imposter
A Rebel Princess
A Wish Comes True
Haunted
Passions In The Sand
Little White Doves of Love
A Portrait of Love
The Enchanted Waltz
Alone and Afraid
The Call of the Highlands
The Glittering Lights
An Angel in Hell
Only a Dream
A Nightingale Sang
Pride and the Poor Princess
Stars in my Heart
The Fire of Love
A Dream from the Night
Sweet Enchantress
The Kiss of the Devil
Fascination in France
Love Runs In
Lost Enchantment
Love is Innocent
The Love Trap
No Darkness for Love
Kiss from a Stranger
The Flame Is Love
A Touch of Love
The Dangerous Dandy
In Love In Lucca
The Karma Of Love
Magic For The Heart
Paradise Found
Only Love
A Duel with Destiny
The Heart of the Clan
The Ruthless Rake
Revenge is Sweet
Fire on the Snow
A Revolution of Love
Love at the Helm
Listen to Love
Love Casts out Fear
The Devilish Deception
Riding in the Sky
The Wonderful Dream
This Time it’s Love
The River of Love
A Gentleman in Love
The Island of Love
Miracle for a Madonna
The Storms of Love
The Prince and the Pekingese
The Golden Cage
Theresa and a Tiger
The Goddess of Love
Alone in Paris
The Earl Rings a Belle
The Runaway Heart
From Hell to Heaven
Love in the Ruins
Crowned with Love
Love is a Maze
Hidden by Love
Love is the Key
A Miracle in Music
The Race for Love
Call of the Heart
The Curse of the Clan
Saved by Love
The Tears of Love
Winged Magic
Born of Love
Love Holds the Cards
A Chieftain Finds Love
The Horizons of Love
The Marquis Wins
A Duke in Danger
Warned by a Ghost
Forced to Marry
Sweet Adventure
Love is a Gamble
Love on the Wind
Looking for Love
Love is the Enemy
The Passion and the Flower
The Reluctant Bride
Safe in Paradise
The Temple of Love
Love at First Sight
The Scots Never Forget
The Golden Gondola
No Time for Love
Love in the Moon
A Hazard of Hearts
Just Fate
The Kiss of Paris
Little Tongues of Fire
Love Under Fire
The Magnificent Marriage
Moon over Eden
The Dream and the Glory
A Victory for Love
A Princess in Distress
A Gamble with Hearts
Love Strikes a Devil
In the Arms of Love
Love in the Dark
Love Wins
The Marquis who Hated Women
Love is Invincible
Love Climbs in
The Queen Saves the King
The Duke Comes Home
Love Joins the Clans
The Power and the Prince
Winged Victory
Light of the Gods
The Golden Illusion
Never Lose Love
The Sleeping Princess
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.