Hide and Seek for Love by Barbara Cartland Read Free Book Online Page A

because his father had been exiled, he always expected to be exiled himself.
    But since his mother was, in addition to her grief, in poor health, he decided to take her to the family home until they could find a house of their own.
    The Ambassador had very kindly sent a cable to the Marquis, informing him of David and Lady Richard Ingle’s imminent arrival.
    When their ship reached the white cliffs of Dover, David thought that this was another land of discovery for him, like those he had enjoyed with his father.
    They had a particularly tiring journey, ending in a post chaise before they finally reached Ingle Hall.
    It was past six o’clock in the evening and David’s mother was completely exhausted.
    â€œI am sorry, darling, to be such a nuisance,” she had murmured earlier in the day.
    â€œYou are nothing of the sort, Mama, and as soon as we reach Ingle Hall, you must go to bed at once and stay there until you feel better.”
    She had smiled at David and put up her hands to touch his cheek.
    â€œYou have been so kind and wonderful to me and I know that your father would be very grateful.”
    Tears came into her eyes when she spoke about her dear husband and her son bent down and kissed her.
    â€œYou have been so very brave, Mama, and we must only hope that Grandpapa will be pleased to see us.”
    He knew as he spoke that his mother was thinking that this was most unlikely.
    He had not told her that at present their situation was desperate as he only had a few coins left and he hoped that when he contacted his father’s Bank he would find that matters were not as bad as they seemed.
    But he was mature enough to realise that they had spent a great deal of money recently on their journeys.
    His father had once or twice said that if things grew worse then both of them would have to seek out some way of earning money.
    David had thought at the time that it would not be so difficult as there was no one as clever as his father and he was sure that he could put his many languages to good use.
    Actually neither he nor his mother had ever thought about money very seriously – it had always been left in his father’s hands.
    They arrived at Ingle Hall and as they drove up the drive, David was most impressed by the huge ornamental gold-tipped gates.
    At his first sight of the house, he realised that his father had not exaggerated in his description of it.
    It was very large and impressive with its mellowed red bricks and fascinating Elizabethan chimneys and it was almost breathtaking in the sunshine.
    The post chaise drew up outside the front door and two footmen ran a red carpet down the steps.
    David helped his mother out carefully and she was, he realised, almost on the verge of collapse, but with her usual bravery, she raised her head and walked up the steps on his arm.
    A formidable butler with white hair addressed her,
    â€œWelcome and we were expecting you, my Lady, and his Lordship’s waiting for you and Mr. David in his study.”
    David smiled at him.
    â€œYou must be Newman.  My father often spoke of you and how kind you were when he was a little boy.”
    Newman looked delighted.
    â€œAll of us loved Lord Richard,” he said, “although he be a real pickle from the time he were born!”
    David laughed.
    â€œI can well believe it.”
    Slowly, because it was impossible for his mother to move quickly, they both followed Newman down a high-ceilinged corridor.
    He stopped at a door and opened it to announce,
    â€œLady Richard Ingle, my Lord, and Mr. David.”
    David realised that he was in the enchanting study his father had often described to him.
    There were books in inlaid marquetry cabinets and pictures that would be the envy of every art collector.
    From a Regency writing table glittering with a gold inkpot, the Marquis rose.
    It was the first time that David had ever seen his grandfather and he was neither as imposing nor as autocratic looking