Hiding from Love by Barbara Cartland Read Free Book Online Page A

had not relinquished his determination to make Leonora marry Lord Merton.
    Leonora watched the doctor descend the stairs and then turned and went in to her mother.
    Mama’s eyes fluttered open as Leonora approached the bed and she noticed that her mother’s cheeks were wet.
    â€œGod, Leonora. I am so, so sorry.”
    â€œSorry, Mama?”
    â€œIf I had not married that man.”  Mama began to grow agitated.  “I thought to better our situation, but I – ”
    â€œHush, Mama, hush.”
    Leonora knelt down by the bed and reached for her mother’s hand.  At her touch, Mama grew calm.  Her eyes closed again and she slept.
    She needed to get her away from Schilling House.
    But how?
    Aunt Doris might have offered sanctuary, but she was dead and her nephew by marriage had not even troubled to reply to Leonora’s letter of condolence.
    Even after she had tiptoed away quietly to her own room, Leonora still wrestled with the problem.
    If only she could talk to Isobel, the one friend in the world she could divulge her plight to, but Isobel was now far away in Brazil.
    She had only recently received a letter from her.
    Isobel had written that a wealthy family in Rio were seeking an English Governess.  If only, she added wistfully, Leonora could take up the employment.
    Leonora sighed as Brazil was the other side of the world and she feared that she would never see Isobel again.
    She climbed into bed and lay staring at the ceiling.
    She knew that this time was when she was at her most vulnerable.  This was when the image of the masked gentleman and the memory of how it had felt to be in his arms would come to torment her.
    Since she had discovered his true nature, however, she felt even more determined to dispel him from her mind.
    *
    During the next couple of days Leonora contrived to keep out of Mr. Schilling’s way.  She spent much of her time at her mother’s bedside, wracking her brains as to how she might affect her Mama’s escape.
    It was Mama herself who came up with the answer.
    In a melancholy mood she now asked Leonora to go through her personal possessions.
    â€œIn case I – don’t recover,” she explained.
    â€œDon’t be silly, of course you are going to recover.”
    Mama persisted,
    â€œMy jewellery is in that box.  I don’t want it to be appropriated by anyone else.  I want you to take them now and hide them.  There is a lovely ruby ring that was given to me by my dear friend Phyllis.”
    Leonora gave a start.
    Phyllis.   Of course!
    â€œMama,” she ventured.  “Do you happen to know where Phyllis is now?”
    â€œI think she is living somewhere in Norfolk, on the coast, I have heard.”
    â€œ Where on the coast?” persisted Leonora.
    Mama looked troubled.
    â€œWell, my dear, I-I don’t rightly know.  She was brought up in Cromer.  She might have returned there.”
    Leonora thought this was as good a guess as any.
    Later that day she sat down to compose a letter to Phyllis Godwin, care of the Post Office, Cromer.  Someone at the Post Office may know of her, surely?
    She had just sealed the envelope and sent Finny off to post it in the village when she heard the sound of hooves on the road beyond her window.
    Thinking it might be the doctor calling in to see her mother, she hurried to greet him.
    She stopped in her tracks at the top of the stairs. In the absence of Finny, Mr. Schilling had answered the door.
    â€œLord Merton, what a pleasure!” she heard him say.
    She sank down and peered through the banisters.
    She could make out a tall figure in a green velvet coat turned away from her, his head slightly inclined as he conversed with Mr. Schilling.
    It was he – her masked gentleman !
    She gazed down at his head and her lip curled.
    Some of his hair was grey !
    She frowned to herself. Not only was Lord Merton importunate and presumptuous, he was also