SEARCH FOR A WIFE
BARBARA CARTLAND
www.barbaracartland.com
Copyright © 2011 by Cartland Promotions
First published on the internet in November 2011
by Barbaracartland.com
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The characters and situations in this book are entirely imaginary and bear no relation to any real person or actual happening.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent.
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SEARCH FOR A WIFE
After dinner they went into the blue drawing room where coffee and liqueurs were waiting for them and the Marquis had hardly had a sip of his before his aunt said,
“I am going to leave you two young people to get to know each other. I hope, Ivor, you will listen to what Edith has to say and I am sure you will find it interesting.”
She did not wait for the Marquis to reply because she suspected he might protest and slipped out of the room closing the door firmly behind her.
He went to stand in front of the fireplace wondering what he should say and how he could avoid what he felt could be an uncomfortable tête-á-tête.
Then to his surprise Edith looked up at him and said in a small rather frightened voice,
“I am sorry! So very sorry!”
The Marquis looked down at her and thought if he was honest she was not completely unattractive – she was just young, unfledged and dull.
Then because of what she had said, he replied,
“I am afraid my aunt is very tactless and like all my family, she cannot help matchmaking without concerning herself with my feelings.”
“You don’t really want to – marry me?” she asked, stumbling over her words.
The Marquis shook his head.
“Quite frankly, no! I have no wish at the moment to marry anyone.”
THE BARBARA CARTLAND PINK COLLECTION
Barbara Cartland was the most prolific bestselling author in the history of the world. She was frequently in the Guinness Book of Records for writing more books in a year than any other living author. In fact her most amazing literary feat was when her publishers asked for more Barbara Cartland romances, she doubled her output from 10 books a year to over 20 books a year, when she was 77.
She went on writing continuously at this rate for 20 years and wrote her last book at the age of 97, thus completing 400 books between the ages of 77 and 97.
Her publishers finally could not keep up with this phenomenal output, so at her death she left 160 unpublished manuscripts, something again that no other author has ever achieved.
Now the exciting news is that these 160 original unpublished Barbara Cartland books are ready for publication and they will be published by Barbaracartland.com exclusively on the internet, as the web is the best possible way to reach so many Barbara Cartland readers around the world.
The 160 books will be published monthly and will be numbered in sequence.
The series is called the Pink Collection as a tribute to Barbara Cartland whose favourite colour was pink and it became very much her trademark over the years.
The Barbara Cartland Pink Collection is published only on the internet. Log on to www.barbaracartland.com to find out how you can purchase the books monthly as they are published, and take out a subscription that will ensure that all subsequent editions are delivered to you by mail order to your home.
If you do not have access to a computer you can write for information about the Pink Collection to the following address :
BarbaraCartland.com
Camfield Place
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
AL9 6JE
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1707 642629
Fax: +44 1707 663041
Titles in this series
These titles are currently available for download. For more information please see the Where to buy page at the end of this book.
The Cross Of Love
Love In The Highlands
Love Finds The Way
The Castle Of Love
Love Is Triumphant
Stars In The Sky
The Ship Of Love
A Dangerous Disguise
Love Became Theirs
Love Drives In
Sailing To Love
The Star Of Love
Music Is The Soul Of Love
Love In The East
Theirs To Eternity
A Paradise On Earth
Love Wins In Berlin
In Search Of Love
Love Rescues Rosanna
A Heart In Heaven
The House Of Happiness
Royalty Defeated By Love
The White Witch
They Sought Love
Love Is The Reason For Living
They Found Their Way To Heaven
Learning To Love
Journey To Happiness
A Kiss In The Desert
The Heart Of Love
The Richness Of Love
For Ever And Ever
An Unexpected Love
Saved By An Angel
Touching The Stars
Seeking Love
Journey To Love
The Importance Of Love
Love By The Lake
A Dream Come True
The King Without A Heart
The Waters Of Love
Danger To The Duke
A Perfect Way To Heaven
Follow Your Heart
In Hiding
Rivals For Love
A Kiss From The Heart
Lovers In London
This Way To Heaven
A Princess Prays
Mine For Ever
The Earl’s Revenge
Love At The Tower
Ruled By Love
Love Came From Heaven
Love And Apollo
The Keys Of Love
A Castle Of Dreams
A Battle Of Brains
A Change Of Hearts
It Is Love
The Triumph Of Love
Wanted – A Royal Wife
A Kiss Of Love
To Heaven With Love
Pray For Love
The Marquis Is Trapped
Hide And Seek For Love
Hiding from Love
A Teacher Of Love
Money Or Love
The Revelation Is Love
The Tree Of Love
The Magnificent Marquis
The Castle
The Gates of Paradise
A Lucky Star
A Heaven on Earth
The Healing Hand
A Virgin Bride
The Trail to Love
A Royal Love Match
A Steeplechase for Love
Love at Last
Search for a Wife
THE LATE DAME BARBARA CARTLAND
Barbara Cartland, who sadly died in May 2000 at the grand age of ninety eight, remains one of the world’s most famous romantic novelists. With worldwide sales of over one billion, her outstanding 723 books have been translated into thirty six different languages, to be enjoyed by readers of romance globally.
Writing her first book ‘Jigsaw’ at the age of 21, Barbara became an immediate bestseller. Building upon this initial success, she wrote continuously throughout her life, producing bestsellers for an a
stonishing 76 years. In addition to Barbara Cartland’s legion of fans in the UK and across Europe, her books have always been immensely popular in the USA. In 1976 she achieved the unprecedented feat of having books at numbers 1 & 2 in the prestigious B. Dalton Bookseller bestsellers list.
Although she is often referred to as the ‘Queen of Romance’, Barbara Cartland also wrote several historical biographies, six autobiographies and numerous theatrical plays as well as books on life, love, health and cookery. Becoming one of Britain's most popular media personalities and dressed in her trademark pink, Barbara spoke on radio and television about social and political issues, as well as making many public appearances.
In 1991 she became a Dame of the Order of the British Empire for her contribution to literature and her work for humanitarian and charitable causes.
Known for her glamour, style, and vitality Barbara Cartland became a legend in her own lifetime. Best remembered for her wonderful romantic novels and loved by millions of readers worldwide, her books remain treasured for their heroic heroes, plucky heroines and traditional values. But above all, it was Barbara Cartland’s overriding belief in the positive power of love to help, heal and improve the quality of life for everyone that made her truly unique.
“‘Love me forever’ may be the title of a popular song and in my books the hero and the heroine always fall in love for ever and remain faithful to each other throughout Eternity, but in the world we live in today for ever does seem an impossible dream, but to romantics like me and most of my readers love does last for ever and always will.”
Barbara Cartland
CHAPTER ONE
1816
The Marquis of Milverton alighted from his very up-to-date high phaeton and walked into White’s Club, a place he knew he could always meet his friends.
At this moment he needed them badly.
White’s Club in St. James’s Street was undoubtedly the most prestigious Club in London. Its many rules of membership were extremely strict and every member was obliged to agree to obey all of them.
Anyone who was turned down by White’s kept it, if possible, a dark secret as they felt ashamed that they would not shine with the other bucks who had become of great Social significance during the reign of the Prince Regent.
Among the many illustrious Regency personalities who were members of White’s, the Prince Regent himself was the most remarkable.
The Marquis had been a member since his father had proposed him when he was old enough – and his uncle and grandfather had been members too.
To him, like a great number of his friends, it was a second home to which they went inevitably once or twice a day when they were resident in London.
On entering the Club the Marquis nodded to the porters who chorused,
“Good morning, my Lord.”
He then made his way into the smoking room and, as he expected, three of his friends were there already and he expected more would turn up later.
Harry, the Earl of Landock jumped up to greet him.
“I thought you would be here this morning, Ivor,” he began. “I am very anxious to know if you are running your horse in the race at Epsom tomorrow.”
“Of course I will be running him, Harry.”
The Marquis sat down next to the Earl and another of his good friends, Lord Dromont, and ordered a glass of champagne.
“You are starting early, Ivor,” observed the Earl.
“I need it,” he answered, “after what I went through last night.”
Two other friends who had followed the Marquis into the room sat down near Lord Dromont and asked,
“What has happened, Ivor?”
“I will tell you later. Just now I need sustenance and nothing is better for that condition than champagne!”
A Steward arrived with a large bottle of champagne and started pouring it out and as he was doing so two other elegant young gentlemen joined them.
“We missed you while you were away, Ivor,” one greeted him. “We are longing to hear what happened.”
“I thought you would be,” replied the Marquis.
He told his friends before he left for the country to join his family that his uncle was producing an attractive young girl for him.
In addition, he was told, she was an heiress and his uncle thought she would make him an excellent wife.
“What was she like?” the Earl asked breathlessly as the Steward, having filled up their glasses, walked away.
“Ghastly!” the Marquis answered.
The word made his group of friends look at him in astonishment.
“Ghastly?” one of them questioned. “But you were told she was a beauty, charming and immensely rich.”
“That was the only attribute that was true about her. She was plain, extremely stupid and I can never imagine a worse hell than being married to her!”
“So what did you do about it?”
“I ran away as soon as I could! I have decided I will never stay with my family again until they promise to stop pushing me into matrimony. In point of fact I cannot stand any more of it!”
“Do you think they will listen to you?”
There was a pause before the Marquis responded,
“I would certainly doubt it, but I have no intention of marrying anyone simply because my uncle and the rest of my tiresome relations have chosen her for me. If I do marry – and at the moment it is very doubtful – it will be to someone I really want as my wife.”
There was a murmur and then the Earl said,
“That is just what we all want, Ivor, but you know as well as I do that because we are who we are, we will continue to be pestered, pleaded with and if at all possible trapped into matrimony.”
“That is true,” chipped in Lord Dromont, who had not previously spoken.
He was a good-looking young man of twenty-six, noted for his vast estate in the Midlands as well as a Castle in Scotland – he had been labelled as ‘an important catch’ ever since he came to London.
It was only by sheer dexterity that he had managed not to be pushed up the aisle by his determined relatives or to be caught by ambitious mothers of debutantes.
In fact all the young gentlemen round the Marquis were, as they began to tell him now, continually pleaded with or bullied by their relatives.
“If I ever hear anyone say again, ‘but you have to provide an heir’, I think I will run away from London and go round the world!” one young Lord exclaimed.
“If you think you have suffered from your relatives, you should try mine,” another piped up. “They talk about some girl until I am sick of hearing her name before I have even met her, then when I do see her she is inevitably very different from all they have told me about her.”
There was laughter and another added,
“You should see the horror produced for me a week ago. She was incredibly fat and incapable of carrying on a conversation about anything except herself. My father was certain I should be happy with her especially as she would have a dowry almost as big as she was herself!”
“That, of course, was the attraction,” another Lord declared sarcastically.
“Then you will all have to be like me,” the Marquis told them, “and refuse to go home at all if there is a woman waiting to pounce on one the moment one arrives.”
The Earl laughed.
“That of course depends on the woman. Enough women have pounced on you, Ivor, to make you cynical when you meet some unfledged chit who has only just left the schoolroom.”
“That is true, Harry. At the same time how can one be certain they will turn into the attractive, witty married ladies with whom we all spend so much of our time?”
“It would certainly be very silly to spend more than ten minutes with a debutante. You would be told you had ruined her reputation and the only way to escape the wrath and fury of her father was to offer her a wedding ring.”
“That is true enough
,” another voice came in. “We agree with Ivor, we will just have to stay away from home until they stop imploring us to marry some idiotic girl one would be bored stiff with before one reached the Church!”
There was silence before another comment,
“The trouble is I like going home. I am very fond of my mother and we have the best horses in Kent.”
“As you cannot marry a horse, old boy, you will have to marry the untrained fledgling chosen for you!”
There was laughter, but the sad expressions on their faces told the Marquis all too clearly they were suffering the way he was.
Because they had all been at Eton they were all much the same age, some were twenty-five, others like him were twenty-six or nearing twenty-seven.
All his friends who had married when they were younger were mostly living in the country and only visited London on special occasions.
When they did so they came to White’s and wanted to hear all the gossip they had missed and yet the Marquis had often thought they seemed to have become duller and less amusing than they had been before they married.
He looked round quizzically at his friends.
While they had been talking two others had joined them making the party up to seven and he thought they were as lucky as he to have remained single for so long.
The Steward was already filling up the glasses from another bottle when the Marquis raised his hand.
“I am going to propose a toast to bachelorhood and may all of us remain unwed for at least another three or four years!”
“I’ll drink to that,” the Earl agreed eagerly.
Then as they all raised their glasses, Lord Dromont spoke for the second time,
“It is all very well for us to feel so optimistic about this, but we have to face facts and sooner or later we will have to be married whether we like it or not.”
He put up his hand to stop any protests and added,
“It is simply because our titles and our possessions which have all been in the family for generations must be preserved. Like Ivor I am an only son. Even though I hate my relations fussing me, I know that they are right. I must produce an heir to make certain of the inheritance.”
For a moment all their faces were serious and then they realised that however much they might rebel they had a responsibility which was undeniable – and it was one to which, sooner or later, they would have to conform.