Love Became Theirs by Barbara Cartland Read Free Book Online Page A

the footman to bring down the others.
    There were, in fact, four large cases and a vanity case which contained some of her jewellery.
    She left the letter she had written to her father on his writing-desk, while the footman was bringing down her luggage, and another summoned a cab. When she was ready to leave, she said loudly to the driver,
    "Take me to Kensington station."
    She knew that instruction would be repeated to her father when he returned.
    The cab set off. When they had almost reached Oxford Street she called to the driver, "I've changed my mind. Take me to Berkeley Square."
    As soon as she arrived she knew they were waiting for her. The door was opened immediately. She ran upstairs to the sitting room. As soon as she opened the door, Alice gave a cry of joy and excitement and ran towards her.
    "You have come! You have come!" she cried. "I was afraid it was just a dream and I would never see you again."
    "I promised to return, and here I am."
    "But people don't always keep their promises," said Alice. "Mama promised never to leave me, but then she died."
    There was a forlorn note in her voice that told Rona all she needed to know about the girl's loneliness.
    "But you must not blame your mother for that," she said gently. "Things happen that are beyond our control. We will talk about this later. First, where am I to sleep tonight?"
    "In my room," Alice said eagerly. "While we're away they'll prepare a proper room for you."
    A truckle bed had been moved into Alice's pleasant room, but it proved to be rather uncomfortable when Rona tried it.
    "No, I'm sleeping there," Alice said quickly. "You're having my bed."
    It was almost as though she was afraid her new friend might take offence and leave. Rona smiled, feeling pleased that she was already winning Alice's confidence.
    A message came from the Earl to say that he hoped they would both dine with him that evening. Rona put on her plainest dress and the glasses. She did not intend to wear them for ever, but it would be safer to look dowdy until they were in France.
    To complete the effect she brushed her hair straight back, so that it lay flat against her head, and fixed it into a neat bun at the nape of her neck.
    She hardly knew the person who looked back at her from the mirror. She had braced herself for the glasses, the dreary clothes, and the even drearier hair.
    There was something else. This pale woman with the set face and disillusioned eyes was a stranger, and yet herself. She had been born some time in the last few hours, and now she would not go away.
    She was the person who would be living her life in future. And she made Rona realise that she had no idea what that future held.
    But she would face it with courage.
    Harlequin had told her that she could do so and following his precepts was now all that she had left of him.

CHAPTER FOUR
    Most of Alice's clothes had been packed, but Rona went through the few that were left and chose a blue dress that was pretty and simple. Then she brushed the girl's hair until it shone, leaving it to flow freely down to her shoulders.
    At last they were ready to go downstairs.
    The Earl looked up as they came in, and she thought she caught a look of surprise on his face as he saw her, looking even more drab than before.
    "Ladies," he said, "shall we go in to dinner?"
    As Alice went ahead he detained Rona a moment.
    "I think I understand what you're doing," he said. "But it doesn't work."
    "Sir?"
    "Nothing is going to make you look plain, Miss Johnson," he told her with a hint of a smile.
    "I am only trying to look like a governess," she said with a hint of severity.
    He gave her his arm. "Let us go in."
    In truth Rona was on hot coals lest her parents should find her before she could leave the country. How lucky that they were leaving so soon.
    In the meantime she must do all she could to convince the Earl that she was the right person for his daughter.
    Over dinner it was she who kept the conversation going, sensing that