The Incredible Honeymoon (Bantam Series No. 46) by Barbara Cartland Read Free Book Online

life.”
    But even as he spoke he knew that in the Society in which they moved Royalty was always interfering.
    If there were rules and restrictions as regards Buckingham Palace, there were always innumerable difficulties and problems arising for those who were close friends of the Prince of Wales.
    The Duke had only to enter Marlborough House and be alone with the Heir to the Throne to find himself involved in situations that required him to strain every intellectual faculty to find a solution.
    “You are a good fellow, Athol! I cannot think what I would do without you,” the Prince had said not once but a dozen times in the last year.
    And the Duke knew that at least he had certainly earned the Prince’s gratitude.
    In February he had been deeply involved when His Royal Highness had been subpoenaed to appear in the divorce case Sir Charles Mordant brought against his wife.
    Twelve letters from the Prince to Lady Mordant, who was by now in a lunatic asylum, were read out in Court.
    Although they were innocuous and the Prince was completely exonerated of having any part in the breakup of the marriage, a whirlwind of public condemnation arose.
    The Duke, like most of the Prince’s friends, had a hard time defending him.
    He had vowed then that he would take care never to find himself in a similar position, which the Queen described as being ‘painful and lowering’.
    But marriage!
    He was back with his own problem again.
    It had already kept him awake, tossing and turning for two nights before he finally had written to the Earl of Lemsford, and felt that the die was cast.
    He realised it was time for him to return home to change after his ride.
    He had a meeting to attend in the House of Lords at eleven o’clock and he would be late if he did not hurry.
    He felt a sudden reluctance to leave the Park until he had made up his mind one way or the other.
    “Shall I marry the girl or shall I somehow get out of the mess in which I find myself?” he asked himself aloud.
    His horse pricked his ears at the sound of his voice, and quickened his speed and, as the Duke touched him with his spur, broke into a gallop.
    It might not solve anything, but at least he felt better because he was travelling at speed.
    “What did he say? What happened?” Felicity asked.
    Antonia had only just returned home to be in time for breakfast at half past eight.
    When Felicity had looked at her across the table with questioning eyes, she had been unable to give her an encouraging smile for the simple reason she was now sure she had failed in her quest.
    The Earl and Countess discussed all through breakfast the Duke’s visit in the afternoon, going over and over for the hundredth time what should be said and what the procedure should be.
    “You will first see His Grace alone, Edward,” the Countess decided. “Then you will send for me, and what we have now to decide is whether I shall bring Felicity in with me or wait until after I have talked with the Duke myself.”
    Antonia had heard the arguments for and against so many times that she could no longer give it her attention.
    Instead she concentrated on deciding exactly what she should say to Felicity.
    It would not be fair to raise her hopes. At the same time to tell her categorically she had failed would be to precipitate another flood of tears.
    And that, Antonia thought, would solve nothing.
    Now walking across Felicity’s bed-room, Antonia said slowly:
    “The answer is, Felicity, I really do not know!”
    “What do you mean, you do not know?” Felicity asked frantically. “Will he marry you instead of me? Surely he must have told you if he would!”
    “He said he would think about it.”
    “How can he want me? How can he?” Felicity asked despairingly. “You told him I was in love with somebody else?”
    “I made it quite clear. But after all there is no reason why that should worry him when he is in love with the Marchioness!”
    “And if he is, surely it cannot matter to him