Lucky Logan Finds Love by Barbara Cartland Read Free Book Online Page B

not blow away in the wind.
    She came downstairs and saw that outside was the chaise with the two horses her stepfather had taken to London.
    Bates had brought her luggage down and strapped it on the back.
    George, the groom, grinned at her when she appeared, and she said,
    “Good morning, George. How are you? I expect your family was pleased to see you.”
    “That they was, Miss Belinda,” George replied. “And ’twere nice to be ’ome.”
    Belinda climbed into the chaise and D’Arcy Rowland picked up the reins.
    George, who had been holding the horses, jumped up on the small seat behind and they drove away.
    Belinda had not said anything to Mrs. Bates or to Bates about coming back.
    She felt that, if she admitted she was to be away for a long time, she would burst into tears.
    As they drove down the drive, it was with difficulty that she prevented herself from looking back and saying goodbye to the house she loved.
    She had the awful feeling that she was stepping from the past into the future and she had no idea what was waiting for her there.
    As they drove through the gates, she had a sudden thought and said to her stepfather in a whisper,
    “Are these horses still ours?”
    He shook his head.
    “I sold them three weeks ago to a friend of mine who kindly lent them to me so that I could bring you back to London.”
    Belinda did not reply.
    There was nothing she could say.
    She only thought that the bottom had fallen out of her world and she was falling with it.
    Almost as if she had asked the question, her stepfather added,
    “I persuaded my friend to engage George, as I could no longer afford to pay him. He is a good lad and excellent with horses.”
    Belinda knew that this was true.
    She thought that perhaps it was a good thing that there was only Rufus and one other old horse left in the stables. Bates could easily manage them, but if there were more, he would have to ask for more help.
    They drove on in silence.
    Belinda tried to enjoy the beauty of the countryside and the hedgerows in blossom. There were lambs in the fields and the birds were building their nests.
    She had the terrifying feeling that in going away from her home and everything that was familiar to her, she would never be able to return.
    They drove on and on.
    She knew her stepfather was determined to take her to London quickly.
    He was eager for her to start spying on Marcus Logan.
    She tried not to think of how degrading it was for her father’s daughter to stoop to doing something of which he would violently disapprove.
    There was, however, no alternative.
    As she had thought yesterday, she was sure that her stepfather had been truthful when he said he would not face prison and that he would rather die.
    They reached the outskirts of London and now the horses were beginning to tire.
    For the first time, Belinda thought of her appearance and asked,
    “Will I be able to tidy myself before I visit Lady Logan?”
    “Of course,” D’Arcy Rowland answered. “I have thought of that.”
    He did not explain.
    About a mile farther on he turned in through some gates that belonged to a house that stood back from the road.
    “A friend of mine lives here,” he explained, “and I asked her permission for you to tidy yourself up and have a cup of coffee before we proceed any further.”
    Belinda was glad.
    But when the horses pulled up at the front door, she was surprised by the sight of the servant who was waiting to receive them.
    He was dressed in the most fantastic livery she had ever seen.
    He seemed also, she thought, to be on very familiar terms with her stepfather.
    “Nice to see you, Cap’n,” he said. “The Mistress were a-wonderin’ where you be when you turns up like a bad penny!”
    D’Arcy Rowland gave a short laugh, but did not reply.
    The servant walked across the hall to open a door on one side of it.
    “’Ere be ’is Nibs’!” he announced cheerfully. “Now you can stop worryin’ as to what’s become of