Follow Your Heart by Barbara Cartland Read Free Book Online Page A

when he marries.’
    That left her with a woman short.
    She remembered Lady Southgate who lived in the next village. She was a widow having been married to an older man who died of a tropical disease when he was in the East.
    He had for a short time been the Governor of Hong Kong and Lord Lainden had stayed with them when he was in that part of the world. Lady Southgate was left without a great deal of money and so she retired to the country and took to breeding dogs.
    She was much younger than her husband and Della reckoned that by this time she must be about thirty-six.
    She was still very good–looking and even if she did not amuse Jason, Lord Lainden would be delighted to see her. Besides, having entertained many guests as a Governor’s wife she would be a delightful addition to any party.
    Della spent a long time with Mrs Beston choosing the menu. If nothing else she and her uncle must enjoy the dinner party and she consulted Storton about which wines would be the most appropriate for the occasion.
    Whenever she thought of Jason she shuddered.
    She could only hope when they did meet he would not be aware of her feelings about him.
    The whole idea of their meeting seemed to darken the sky and yet the day drew nearer and nearer like a desert dust storm.
    *
    Della had to occupy herself during the afternoon as her uncle was working on his book, so she decided to go and see the gypsies again.
    She wanted to have another talk with Lendi to make certain why her life in the future should not seem as bad as she feared.
    She had, of course, remembered to send the gypsies the chickens and eggs she had promised.
    This morning she had sent a groom with vegetables and jams she knew they would enjoy. Now she picked some flowers from the garden, which she could carry on the front of her saddle.
    She walked slowly to her uncle’s stable.
    The one horse she owned she had christened Apollo and he nuzzled against her when she entered his stall.
    She always felt guilty that she had neglected Apollo, as there were so many finer and more spirited horses at her disposal in the Duke’s stables.
    She remembered something as she patted Apollo. If things went wrong and she could not face marrying Jason, then he would be the only mount available to her.
    â€˜I will ride him now,’ she resolved.
    She told the old groom who had been with her uncle for years to saddle Apollo.
    It was a lovely afternoon and the sun was warm on her bare head. She tried to feel the excitement that was always hers when she was riding.
    Instead, however, she could only think that she was to greet Jason this very evening and after they had met, her uncle and the Duke would be expecting Jason to ask her to marry him.
    It took her only fifteen minutes to reach the gypsy camp and as usual in the afternoon everything seemed very quiet and still.
    However, as she approached the caravans Piramus appeared and stood waiting for her.
    â€œNice to see you, Lady,” he said as she reached him. “I thinks you be comin’ to say goodbye.”
    â€œYou are leaving!” exclaimed Della in surprise.
    â€œEarly morrow morn,” replied Piramus. “We happy here – very grateful what – Lady and my Lord give, but must move on.”
    Della knew that ‘the travellers’, as the gypsies were often called, could never stay anywhere very long.
    There were many legends as to why they needed to keep moving and one of them she knew only too well. The gypsies were said to have hammered the nails into the cross on which Christ was crucified and their punishment was that they should wander all over the world until He returned.
    The Romanies were the true ancient gypsy race and they had first come to England in the reign of Henry VIII.
    They had their own taboos, marriage service and unusual gypsy customs of death and burial.
    The women were fortune–tellers, although few, Della was sure, were as good as Lendi.
    She was upset to hear