Secret Love

by Barbara Cartland

  He ran from the room.

  Two minutes later he came back with Josofine.

  She was wearing a dressing gown and was saying,

  “What has happened? Where are you taking me?”

  Robbie pulled her into the room and shut the door.

  “I want you to meet someone who is responsible for everything that has happened here. For the cooking, the cleaning of the house, for the jumps on the Racecourse and the reason we will be fortunate enough to have a really lovely wedding tomorrow.”

  Josofine looked bewildered.

  “If dearest Wenda – my sister – had not organised everything,” Robbie went on, “I would have had to refuse His Royal Highness’s suggestion of coming here to stay and you would never have met him with me.”

  “Your sister,” Josofine exclaimed. “But why have I not met her before?”

  “Because she has been in the background making everything possible, but I will tell you all about it another time.”

  He knew that, just like Wenda, Josofine had no idea why the Prince of Wales had these secret parties to which every man brought the lady of his choice.

  “Well, I am delighted to have a sister,” Josofine sighed as Robbie stopped talking.

  “That is a very nice thing to say,” added Wenda, “and I am so glad you and Robbie are so happy.”

  “It is the most wondrous unbelievable thing that has ever happened to me,” Josofine replied. “He is so kind, and I was so terrified he would not fall in love with me.”

  “It was not difficult,” Robbie smiled.

  Just for a moment they looked at each other and forgot that Wenda was there.

  Then Josofine said,

  “Robbie tells me that you want something to wear at our wedding and you must have anything you want. We are going to Paris later, where I can buy clothes in which I will really look beautiful for him. Otherwise he might be disappointed in me.”

  “That is impossible,” sighed Robbie.

  She gave him a flashing smile before she turned to Wenda,

  “Come to my room – ”

  “No!” interrupted Robbie, “that would be a mistake in case anyone realises Wenda is here. And if she does not help in the kitchen with the French dishes for dinner, His Royal Highness may be in a disagreeable mood and refuse to give you away.”

  Josofine gave a cry of horror.

  “I tell you what I will do now, Wenda. When I go downstairs I will put all of my clothes at your disposal. Looking at you I think you will look prettiest in pink or perhaps in a very soft blue.”

  “You don’t mind if I wear it for the wedding?”

  “When I come back from Paris,” Josofine replied, “as we are more or less the same size I will bring you some fashionable dresses as a present.”

  She looked at Robbie as she spoke and as he could not find any words, he kissed her hand.

  “You are so kind and I am hugely happy for you,” said Wenda. “I promise you your cake is going to be very impressive, but I don’t want to be an encumbrance to you.”

  “You could never be that,” Robbie added firmly. “I am going to tell Josofine about the ball I will give for you after we are married and buy a decent house in London where we can entertain.”

  “I don’t believe what I am hearing,” Wenda cried. “It is too wonderful and I just know you will both be happy here.”

  “Of course we will. We would be happy anywhere, but Josofine will be the most beautiful chatelaine who has ever reigned in Creswell Court.”

  “That is a lovely compliment,” Josofine sighed and kissed Robbie’s cheek.

  Then she kissed Wenda.

  “You will be needing a hat as well as a dress and they will all be waiting for you when I go downstairs.”

  “Thank you, thank you,” enthused Wenda, “and I am so thrilled for you both I feel I want to cry.”

  “Don’t do that,” Robbie replied. “If you do I will find this is a dream and will wake up. It was what I felt when I first met Josofine and I still feel it cannot be real.”

  “It is! It is!” cried Josofine, “and now, whatever Papa may feel, I cannot be made to marry that horrible German Prince.”

  “I will kill anyone who tries to take you from me,” Robbie answered stubbonly. “At the same time we will both be in disgrace if we are late for dinner!”

  Josofine gave a little cry, kissed Wenda again and rushed out of the room.

  “She is so delightful,” Wenda murmured as Robbie turned towards the door. “You are very very lucky.”

  “I know and thank you again, dearest Wenda.”

  Robbie kissed his sister and then he too was gone.

  Wenda hurried downstairs to put the last touches to the French dishes to be served at dinner and as she went she was thinking how wonderful it was for Robbie.

  Then as she reached the kitchen she found herself thinking of herself.

  She wondered if, once the wedding was over, she would ever see the Marquis again.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Wenda dressed herself in the beautiful blue dress she had chosen from those Josofine had left for her and the small hat trimmed with blue feathers to match was most becoming.

  She knew when she had put them on she had never owned anything so expensive and all in such perfect taste.

  She thought that her new sister-in-law would be an extremely nice person to live with.

  Then as she thought of it she gave a sudden start.

  Where would she go?

  What would she do?

  They had not said a word so far about her staying on at The Court.

  But she knew quite clearly that whatever they said they would not really want her as of course when they were first married they would want to be alone together.

  She could not live in the house without being with them.

  ‘What shall I do? Where shall I go?’ she agonised frantically.

  She left her room and went down the backstairs as she must not be seen by the guests who she reckoned were now congregating in the front hall.

  Carriages were carrying them to the Church which was only at the end of the drive.

  Josofine would leave last with the Prince of Wales, who had thrown himself wholeheartedly into organising the wedding.

  He had told the Vicar exactly what he required and Robbie, who had been listening, knew he was delighted to be taking orders from someone so distinguished.

  “I do hope Your Royal Highness understands,” the Vicar said, “that, although I will try to keep this wedding as secret as possible, I suspect that the village is already aware that Your Royal Highness is here at Creswell Court, and they will undoubtedly find their way into the Church.”

  The Prince of Wales laughed.

  “Let them,” he asserted. “Everyone always enjoys a wedding and it is only fair that this young couple should share their happiness with others.”

  As he listened, Robbie knew that, as he had said himself, he was the luckiest man in the world.

  Not only was he marrying the one woman he really loved and that she loved him, but all their difficulties were being ironed out by the Prince of Wales.

  As Wenda was to learn later from Mrs. Stevenson, the gown which had been worn by their grandmother when she was married fitted Josofine perfectly.

  As it was the time when the fashion had been for very full skirts, it had a natural train at the back and she would look lovely with the large Creswell tiara holding in place the glorious Brussels lace veil that had been used by Cresswell brides for three centuries.

  Robbie had gone to Wenda’s room early in the morning while she was still in bed.

  She had deliberately not gone out riding as she had done the morning before as she thought, if the Marquis was riding too, they might be seen and it would annoy her brother.

  He had to knock loudly on her door because when he turned the handle he found to his surprise it was locked.

  When she let him in, Robbie asked,

  “
Why did you lock your door? I have never known you to do so before.”

  “I thought someone might come in by mistake and see me,” answered Wenda.

  She had actually locked the door because she was afraid that, just as he had come in by mistake last night and called her an angel, the Marquis would come to speak to her again.

  She wanted to see him, she wanted it fervently, but she knew it would be wrong.

  He might guess who she was or ask Robbie if she really was working in the kitchen. In which case Robbie would be very angry with her.

  Also at the back of her mind she knew her mother would be shocked at the idea of anyone coming into her bedroom while she was in bed.

  It had been such a difficult decision to make and one which she felt almost tore her in half.

  ‘When he leaves today after the wedding, I will not see him again,’ she thought. ‘And if he did come to talk to me once again, as he did last night, it would be something to remember.’

  Then she realised it was selfish to think of herself rather than Robbie and his instructions.

  “You must see to the wedding cake and everything else in the dining room, Wenda,” he insisted. “Then come out through the back door and reach the Church before the house party and well before the bride and the Prince of Wales arrive.”

  “Am I to walk?” Wenda asked him.

  She thought in the smart dress Josofine had lent her she would attract the attention of those driving down from the front door.

  “No, of course not,” Robbie answered. “I am not as stupid as that, I have arranged for Ben to take you. I am afraid it is in the old carriage since we have nothing better. But at least you will arrive in style and he will take you back to The Court when the Service is over.”

  He paused before he added,

  “Then you will be introduced to the house party who will be told you that have been staying with one of our relatives.”

  Wenda laughed.

  “You really have thought it all out, Robbie.”

  “Just as you made the house as comfortable and as smart as it has been for the Prince of Wales, we will carry on your good work as soon as our honeymoon is over.”

  “You might tell me where you are going,” Wenda suggested rather sulkily.

  “Victor Mildenhall has kindly lent us his house at Newmarket. We are going to stay there and decide which racehorses we will buy as soon as we have finished doing up the house.

  “Then when the Prince of Wales tells us we have been forgiven by Josofine’s family, we will go to France to stay with the Duc and Duchesse and buy her trousseau.”

  “I feel rather uncomfortable at having taken one of her pretty dresses away,” admitted Wenda.

  “Just don’t worry about it. She has already written a letter to the shop I took her to in Bond Street, telling them to send more clothes and I am quite certain trunkfuls of them will be coming to us in Newmarket!”

  It was only when he had left that Wenda thought to herself how marvellous it must be to be so rich.

  She had not asked Robbie for any more money, but just before he left her bedroom he had handed her a large envelope saying,

  “Here is some money to pay the servants and the workmen. And do take out of it as much as you want for yourself.”

  She looked inside the envelope and gave a cry of astonishment.

  “Two thousand pounds! Surely you cannot have drawn that from the bank.”

  “Josofine has made it possible. And I am not going to feel embarrassed about it. Of course we will have to spend her money in doing up the house exactly as we want it and to employ just as many servants as will make us comfortable. But it is my house, my estate and my pictures and I do have every intention of not being embarrassed by letting my wife contribute to our comfort!”

  Wenda laughed and put her arms round his neck and kissed him.

  “You are wonderful!” she exclaimed. “I know you will always be ‘cock of the roost’, and that is what every woman really likes her husband to be.”

  “I knew you would understand, Wenda.”

  Robbie kissed her and hurried away.

  She thought again how lucky he was to have found someone so beautiful and at the same time so intelligent and understanding as Josofine.

  The carriage was waiting at the kitchen door.

  As she stepped in Mrs. Banks called out,

  “Now don’t you worry. I’ll see that everything’s perfect when you comes back, and you can be sure they’ll be as pleased as punch when they sees that cake.”

  Wenda knew there was no doubt of their being anything else, as the cake now it was fully decorated with flowers and fruit, looked magnificent.

  And so did the whole table.

  As if it was not enough to make everything perfect for the Prince of Wales, the servants were now waiting for the bride and bridegroom.

  Wenda was not at all surprised when she reached the Church to find that there was already a small crowd of villagers outside and a number had already sneaked in to sit in the pews at the very back.

  She had been sure that, once the Prince of Wales had arrived at The Court, the women who were working in the house would inevitably tell their families and friends when they went home at night.

  As she entered the Church the Vicar greeted her and walked with her to the family pew.

  The house party, when they arrived, looked at her curiously.

  Wenda was surprised at first not to see the Marquis and then when he did finally appear, he was walking beside Robbie and she realised he was to be his Best Man.

  The Service was simple but very sincere.

  Wenda prayed for her brother’s happiness, but she felt that he had already been blessed by God in finding Josofine.

  When the bride and brideroom left, the house party followed them down the aisle to the carriages waiting for them outside.

  Wenda’s old carriage came last in the procession.

  She had just climbed in when to her great surprise the Marquis, having helped some of the other guests into the first carriages, joined her.

  As he got in beside her, he closed the door firmly and there was no question of their giving anyone else a lift.

  “How could you have been so cruel,” he asked her, “and so unkind as to shut me out of Paradise last night?”

  Wenda blushed.

  The Marquis thought it made her even lovelier than ever.

  “I was afraid,” Wenda answered him, “that Robbie might see you and he would have been angry with me.”

  “He told me before we left the house,” the Marquis replied, “that his sister was arriving for the wedding after staying with relatives.”

  “Oh, please,” Wenda pleaded, “you must be very careful not to let anyone know that I was in the house all the time.”

  “Were you really helping in the kitchen?”

  “Of course I was. You don’t suppose Mrs. Banks, good cook though she is, could have prepared those French dishes that I heard His Royal Highness enjoys so much.”

  “He certainly did. He took such large helpings I was afraid I was not going to get any!”

  Wenda laughed.

  “As soon as the bride and bridegroom have left,” the Marquis said, “and of course His Royal Highness, I want to talk to you about us.”

  Wenda felt her heart give a little leap and it was with difficulty she managed to ask him,

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I mean, Wenda, that I have just told Robbie I am looking after you, and I am taking you this afternoon, when everyone has gone and you are ready to leave, to stay with my grandmother.”

  “I cannot leave the house!” Wenda said quickly.

  “From what I gather,” he replied quietly, “your man Banks is perfectly capable of keeping the work going and you and I have to think of our future.”

  “I don’t know – what you mean,” Wenda answered him hesitatingly.

  “I think you do, and as it is quite a long distance t
o my grandmother’s, I suggest that when we arrive back now you instruct your housekeeper to pack your clothes.”

  There was no time to say anything more because the carriages had reached the house.

  The bride and bridegroom had gone in and so had the Prince of Wales and most of the house party.

  As Wenda got out she felt her head swimming.

  It was impossible to think clearly what the Marquis meant or what was happening.

  As soon as they reached the dining room, Robbie was at her side.

  First he introduced her to the Prince of Wales.

  “I have told you about my sister, sir,” he began, “and how wonderful she has been in preparing everything for your visit.”

  “Then I must thank you very much,” the Prince of Wales said as Wenda curtsied deeply to him. “I have never enjoyed a visit more or been more comfortable.”

  “That is exactly what I wanted to hear, Your Royal Highness.”

  “I am also delighted that your brother has acquired such a charming and pretty wife whom I have known ever since she was born,” the Prince of Wales went on. “I look forward to entertaining them at Sandringham as soon as they return from their honeymoon.”

  Wenda felt this would go far to assuage the anger the Duc would be feeling at Josefine’s refusal to marry the Prince he had chosen for her.

  Everyone else in the house party was delighted to meet Wenda.

  The Duchess of Manchester said to her,

  “Please call on me when you come to London. I want to have a long talk about your pictures. Robbie tells me that you know more about them than anyone else.”

  “I have tried to remember everything my father told me about them and thank you so much for your invitation.”

  Whilst she was talking and being introduced, she was vividly conscious that the Marquis was watching her.

  She still found it hard to believe that he was taking her away the moment everybody had departed.

  After the Prince of Wales had sampled the wedding cake and proposed the health of the bride and bridegroom he was in a hurry to return to London.

  As soon as he had left the rest of the party left too.

  The Marquis had in some clever way arranged that Lady Eleanor should travel with the Duke of Sutherland and his lady friend in the Ducal carriage. Whether they were pleased or not, she went with them.