“They hadn’t got anything later,” Carstairs told him, “but I thinks what you’ll find inside be what your Lordship would like to hear.”
He left the cabin after he had spoken.
The Earl opened The Times, supposing that Carstairs was referring to his father’s funeral in a somewhat strange manner.
Then as he read the headlines on the second page, he stiffened.
‘TRAGEDY ON ANCESTRAL TOWER
A tragedy occurred yesterday at the ancestral home of Lord Grantham, when both his Lordship and his wife fell from the battlements of the ancient castle which has been in Lord Grantham’s family for two centuries.’
There then followed a description of Lord Grantham’s distinguished political career.
The Earl read on,
‘It is thought that Lord Grantham, who was sometimes unsteady on his legs, had climbed up to the tower as he did occasionally to look at the view.
It is believed that he slipped on the lead of the roof and Lady Grantham, the famous beauty, tried to save her husband from falling.
Unfortunately she was unable to do so and in the struggle to save her husband, she lost her own life as she fell with him. When they hit the ground both Lord and Lady Grantham were killed instantly.
Their bodies were taken to their private Chapel where they will lie in state until the funeral which will take place in a few days time.’
The Earl read the end of the report twice.
He knew exactly what must have really happened, but he did not wish to think about it as there was nothing he could do.
What he thought secretly must never be repeated to anyone.
Above all he was now free.
Free to tell Vanda that he loved her without being afraid or restricted in any way.
He dressed himself quickly without sending for Carstairs and ran from his cabin and quietly opened the door of Vanda’s room.
The curtains were still drawn, but the sunlight was filtering through on either side.
She was in bed and still asleep.
The Earl moved closer to her.
Her golden hair was falling over her shoulders and her left hand with her long beautiful fingers lay limply on the sheet.
He thought no one could look lovelier or more desirable.
Gently he sat down on the bed and bending forward kissed her.
It was a very soft and tender kiss.
Then as her lips responded to his, her arms curled around his neck.
He continued kissing her but now more possessively as if he was afraid of losing her.
He raised his head.
“I – love – you,” Vanda muttered sleepily. “I – love – you.”
“And I love you, my darling,” the Earl whispered.
She opened her eyes.
“Are – you – really – here?”
“Really and truly,” the Earl answered. “You must wake up because we have so much to do.”
“I – just want – you to go on – kissing – me,” she murmured.
“That is just what I want too,” he breathed passionately, “but I think perhaps we had better be married first.”
His words made Vanda open her eyes wide.
“Married!” she exclaimed.
“We are going to be married here in Athens at the British Embassy Church,” the Earl announced. “Then I know you want to go to Delphi. You told me so long ago.”
“I cannot believe – what you are – saying,” Vanda sighed. “Do you – really and truly – want me – as your – wife?”
“I want you more than I have ever wanted anything in the whole of my life. I love you, my darling, as I will swear before God when we are in the Church, and I will do everything in my power to make you happy.”
“I am happy, so wildly – happy,” Vanda cried. “I thought – you had only – kissed me to keep me from – crying out in the tent and did not – really mean it.”
“I will show you how much I mean it and how wonderful it will be for both of us when we are married.”
“Then let – us be married – quickly, in case – we wake up and – find that this – is just a wonderful – dream.”
“We will dream together and we will never wake up,” the Earl said firmly. “God has looked after us and made us luckier than I ever thought possible.”
He knew as he spoke the words that it was the truth.
He really had been so lucky, in fact the luckiest man in the world.
Not only to have found Vanda but to lose Irene.
He was grateful, so grateful that he could only say to Vanda again,
“I promise I will make you happy, my precious darling, and we will make everyone we know happy with us.”
*
There were no difficulties for the Duke of Brackenshaw to be married immediately in the British Embassy Church in Athens.
The Ambassador and his wife considered it all very delightful.
The Earl told them that his future wife did not have a veil with her and the Ambassador’s wife produced one and a very pretty diamond tiara.
He thought that no bride could have looked more gorgeous.
They drove to the Church accompanied by Charles, who was to give Vanda away.
Before they left the yacht the Captain, the Chief Steward and their wives were let into the secret of why Vanda had been pretending to be a Princess.
They all thought the story most intriguing. In fact so much so that the Duke only hoped they would keep their promise of not repeating it to anyone.
“Do you really think, Your Grace,” the Captain asked, “that the horses will follow you back to England?”
“I am convinced that the Sheik was so grateful to us that we will not be disappointed,” the Earl replied.
When he drove away from the yacht with Vanda and Charles, he left behind a large number of instructions.
*
The service in the British Embassy Church was simple but, Vanda thought, very moving.
The Chaplain conducted the service with great sincerity and when he blessed the bride and groom, she felt as though they had been doubly blessed.
It was as if God had taken them especially under His protection.
In the future they would always be safe.
As they drove back to the yacht Charles told them he had made arrangements with the Ambassador to return by train.
“I have always wanted to travel on the Orient Express,” he explained, “and this is my very best opportunity. I will also have a great deal to do at home when the horses arrive. What arrangements am I to make for you, Favin?”
“You are to take them all and start training them for the Racecourse.”
“All of them!” Charles queried in astonishment.
“All except two, which we will change over from time to time for Vanda and me to ride. We are to be a partnership in the future and you are to undertake all the training.”
“A partnership!”
“It is what Vanda would like more than anything and so should I. We will join our colours and race our horses together and if we do not win all the Classics I shall be very surprised!”
Charles was for the moment overwhelmed.
“I cannot believe it,” he said.
“You are doing me a favour as well as yourself,” the Earl said. “Now that I have all my father’s affairs to organise, there is a great deal to be done and Vanda and I will have to work very hard to bring the estate up to modern standards. Therefore we will leave the horses happily in your care.”
Vanda slipped her hand into his.
He knew how much his suggestion pleased her and how grateful she was.
“Thirty Arab horses!” he sighed.
“Twenty-eight,” the Earl corrected him. “And do not forget we shall want only the best. When you change them over, we will take the best again before the races begin.”
Charles grinned,
“I can see there are going to be endless arguments over this arr
angement.”
“It is such a wonderful idea!” Vanda joined in, “and thank you, thank you, my wonderful husband, for being so kind and generous to Charles and me.”
She said these words in a soft caressing voice and the Earl thought it was like listening to music.
He felt that his wife looked far more beautiful than any Greek Goddess could ever have been and he knew that his life in the future was going to be very different from anything he had experienced in the past.
In Vanda’s own words – ‘wonderful’.
When they reached the Sea Serpent it was to find that it was covered in flowers of all colours and fragrance.
Carstairs and the Steward had somehow managed to produce a wedding cake and it was displayed proudly on the table in the Saloon.
There was champagne for everyone, including the crew.
Charles bade the newly-weds an emotional farewell.
“Do enjoy a magnificent honeymoon,” he wished them as he hugged Vanda and warmly shook the Earl’s hand.
“We have every intention of doing so,” Vanda promised. “And we shall be thinking of you surrounded by all those glorious Arab horses.”
She waved to Charles from the deck of the Sea Serpent as he drove away with his luggage.
Then her husband drew her away.
“I want you to come and look at our cabin.”
Vanda wondered why, but did not ask any questions.
The Earl took her to the Master cabin where he had always slept and when he opened the door, Vanda saw that the whole cabin was decorated entirely in white flowers.
She knew again that it was Carstairs who had managed it, yet undoubtedly her wonderful husband had thought of the idea.
There were white roses and lilies.
The whole room looked like a bower.
“Thank you, my dearest husband,” Vanda sighed.
“Now I really feel like a bride.”
As she spoke she felt the engines begin to turn under her feet.
“Where are we going?” she asked before giving a little cry. “I know it is to Delphi! But I did not think we would go so soon.”
“Where else could I take a Goddess?” the Earl asked in a deep voice.
He lifted her tiara and veil as he spoke and kissed her lips, her nose and her eyes.
“The Greeks,” he told her quietly, “were the only people who really understood love. The love which you and I, my darling, are going to teach each other and which will be as new and exciting to me as it is to you.”
“Oh, Favin, I love you so very much,” Vanda murmured with happiness. “You fill my whole world and there is no one in my life but you.”
“That is just what I want you to think,” the Earl answered as his lips found hers yet again.
*
Sometime later Vanda stirred against her husband’s shoulder.
“How can love be so wonderful and so perfect?” she sighed. “Oh, darling Favin, please never stop loving me.”
“I have only just started and we both of us have so much to learn from each other.”
“I know how ignorant I am. But there have been many lovely ladies in your life?”
“I am not denying it and I have never loved anyone as I love you. I really believe that I worship you, because you are everything I have looked for and thought I would never find.”
“Is that really the truth?”
“I swear it is, my precious,” the Earl vowed. “We are going to cherish our lives and love will grow within us day by day and year by year. We must never spoil love and we must never lose it.”
He spoke so seriously and with such sincerity that Vanda felt moved.
“I am – only afraid,” she whispered in a small voice, “of disappointing – you and that you will – find me dull after all – those other beautiful – women.”
The Earl drew in his breath.
What he felt for Vanda was completely different from anything he had ever felt in his entire life.
He could not explain his feelings to anyone except himself.
To him she was something holy and very precious and had come to him from Heaven.
It had nothing to do with anything in the past he had vaguely thought was love.
What they had between them now was the love of God.
The love which was the whole basis of living.
The love which raised a man and a woman from being just human to something Divine. It was impossible for anyone to explain in words.
As he drew Vanda closer into his arms he knew he had found in her the mystery of the Holy Grail which all men seek but few are privileged to find.
It was something he could never lose.
It would make them both supremely happy in themselves.
It would also enable them to give happiness to their children, their grandchildren and all those with whom they ever came into contact.
This was love, the real Love.
The love which passeth all understanding and which comes from God and only God.
A Kiss In the Desert Page 13