“That is what it will be,” Lord Arkley promised. “How soon will you marry me, my precious?”
“As soon as you – want me.”
“That is tonight or tomorrow at the very latest!”
She laughed.
“I have not yet told the family why you were coming to Hungary. I merely asked Cousin Miklós to invite you, but I have a feeling they – suspected.”
“Why should they do that?”
“Perhaps because I could not prevent showing that I was excited and very very happy from the moment I learnt that you had accepted my cousin’s invitation.”
“If he had not sent it, I should have arrived without one,” Lord Arkley declared. “We have paid lip service, my lovely one, to the conventions, but now nothing more can be demanded of us. We are free, free to love each other as we were always meant to do.”
“I – love you with – all of me,” Mariska whispered, “b-but suppose you are – disappointed?”
She saw the smile on Lord Arkley’s lips, but, before he could reply, she went on,
“I have – heard so much about your – success as the most – attractive man in London – and I suspect Paris as well.”
“You are flattering me,” Lord Arkley answered. “Besides you cannot, my darling one, have looked in your mirror very often or you would know that there is no one, and I mean this, in the whole world who is quite as lovely as you.”
“Perhaps you are – prejudiced,” Mariska answered, “but that is what I – want you to – think.”
She lifted her lips to his as she spoke and he kissed her until the trees and the sky and the lake seemed to whirl round them.
She was also conscious that there was a fire in his eyes and in his kiss that had not been there before.
“I want you!” he insisted hoarsely. “I have waited ‘the years for Rachel’ and I don’t intend to wait any longer!”
She hid her face against him and she replied in a very small voice,
“If you are quite – certain of that and also do not want a lot of your – friends to be present at our Wedding, we could be – married in the Chapel at the Palace.”
“But of course,” Lord Arkley exclaimed. “I had forgotten the Chapel. What could be a more appropriate place to be married in with only your family as witnesses?”
“I hoped you would – say that and I want more than – anything in the whole world to – bear your name and – no one else’s.”
“Once you are my wife,” Lord Arkley responded, “we will forget everything that has ever happened to you in the past. We will pretend, my precious love, that we have met at an ordinary party given by your cousin.”
He kissed her hair before he continued,
“I am an Englishman, sophisticated, blasé and cynical about women and I have come to Hungary to shoot partridges.”
Mariska’s eyes were those of a child listening to a Fairy story.
“When I arrive at the Palace,” Lord Arkley continued, “I meet a girl called Mariska Eszterházy straight out of the schoolroom. She is young, innocent and so beautiful that I fall wildly, madly head-over-heels in love.”
“What – happens?” Mariska asked.
“I find that she loves me a little – ”
“Not a little – ”
“Very well – a lot!”
“More than the – world – the sea – and the sky all put together.”
There was a passionate note in Mariska’s voice that made Lord Arkley pull her close to him.
She thought that he was going to kiss her and she lifted her face, but he only said very softly,
“Mariska Eszterházy is not only the loveliest woman I have ever seen in my life, but I discovered that she has never been kissed.”
“The sophisticated – blasé – cynical Lord Arkley did not find that – boring?”
“He found it very intriguing and very exciting.”
Lord Arkley pulled Mariska closer still and his lips were on hers. He kissed her until her heart beat wildly in her breast and it was hard to breathe.
When he raised his head, he said,
“Could any man ever be bored or blasé with you, my lovely one?”
His cheek was against the softness of hers as he went on,
“I have so much to teach you and it will be the most thrilling thing I have ever done in my life.”
“And the most wonderful – the most – marvellous for – me.”
“My darling, I will make you happy.”
“I am happy already – because you are here – and it has been very hard to wait for so – long – so very long.”
“We were saying that we will forget the past,” Lord Arkley replied. “There will be no clouds, no dramas and no tragedies in your life. From now on, my darling, it will be quite ordinary, but I think for both of us very wonderful.”
“That is – what I want!” Mariska cried. “And when I am close to you I feel safe – and so very very – happy. I can forget – everything else.”
“That is what I want you to do and we have so many things to talk about and so many things to share that the past will fade quickly and easily.”
“It has gone – already,” Mariska exclaimed, “As I have already said, there is only you – and you – and – you.”
Lord Arkley kissed her again.
Then, as if both of them were possessed by an urgency to begin their new life together, they rose to their feet.
The horses cropping the grass were only a little way from them.
But Lord Arkley stood holding Mariska’s hand, his eyes on her face upturned to his.
“I did not know that it was possible to be so happy and so very much in love,” he sighed.
“We are – enchanted,” Mariska told him, “and I feel as if I have awoken from a long deep sleep to find a magic world that I half-sensed, but never – thought would really be – mine.”
“It is yours, my darling,” he answered. “A world where I promise you there is only love.”
As if she could not prevent herself, Mariska moved close against him and once again his arms went round her.
“This is real love, my darling,” Lord Arkley said, “and its enchantment will remain with us for all time.”
He spoke solemnly as if he made a vow to himself and to her.
Then he was kissing her again and there was not only the ecstasy and the glory that was Divine but the fire of desire that belonged to the sun and was part of life itself.
It joined them so that they became one with each other as they had been in the past and would be in the future – one mind, one heart and one soul.
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 L
ove
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
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 for 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.
A Princess in Distress
Barbara Cartland
Barbara Cartland Ebooks Ltd
This edition © 2018
Copyright Cartland Promotions 1978
eBook conversion by M-Y Books
AUTHOR�
��S NOTE
It was at the beginning of the seventeenth century that the English aristocrats became connoisseurs and began making collections for their Stately Homes.
The greatest portrait painter of the era was Sir Anthony Van Dyck and it is thought that he was seen first in Rubens’s Studio in Antwerp by travelling Noblemen.
It was men like Thomas Howard the Earl of Arundel, who persuaded Van.Dyck to come to England.
After eleven years, when his skill was known and admired all over Europe, he returned to England for a second time to begin a series of portraits of the Royal Family.
His triple portrait of King Charles I was a brilliant example of his skill.
Another of Van Dyck’s wonderful portraits was of Thomas Wentworth the Earl of Stafford, while others were of Lord Derby and the Earl of Penbrook.
It became a trademark of every Van Dyck picture that the hands of his subject, with their thin aristocratic fingers, were outstanding and different from the hands painted by any other artist.
Chapter One ~ 1874
As the carriage turned into Grosvenor Square, Lady Odela Ford was feeling nervous.
All the way from Florence she had been thinking excitedly about coming home and seeing her father again.
Now, although she tried not to, she felt apprehensive.
After a year of misery and loneliness when her mother had died, her father, the Earl of Shalford, had married again rather too rapidly.
He had told her in a somewhat embarrassed manner that he intended to marry a widow, Lady Dean.
Odela could remember her dismay at this news all too vividly.
She had already met Lady Dean and she thought somewhat scornfully that she was fawning on her father in an exaggerated way.
Odela loved him and understood how desperately he missed her mother as she did. .She was therefore too tactful to make any protest.
Esme Dean had then taken over the house, even before the Wedding took place very quietly.
Odela had to admit that her stepmother was very attractive and she always said the most flattering things to everybody she met.
Everything she did, anywhere she went, was ‘too wonderful for words’ and she never spoke to her husband without complimenting him on his brains, his looks and his exalted position in life.
At first Odela chided herself for being critical and then she knew instinctively that this was an exaggerated pose that was invariably hypocritical.
It had nothing to do with her stepmother’s real feelings.
In a way Odela was not surprised when, immediately after the Wedding was over, the new Countess began to say to her husband,
Princes and Princesses: Favourite Royal Romances Page 61