“The answer to that is quite simple. Nowhere!”
She looked at him in surprise and he said,
“I think we have both passed through too many traumatic and emotional experiences to want to travel for any distance. What we want is the security of being at home, at least I know I do.”
Then, as if he thought that she might be disappointed, he said quickly,
“If you really want to go to London or to a house I own in Newmarket, we will go there, but I thought, my precious, it would be wonderful for us to stay at home and start doing the million things that need doing in The Castle and which no one can do but ourselves.”
“That is what I would like too,” Farica sighed.
“Do you really mean that?”
“Of course I mean it. The only thing that really matters is that I shall be with you.”
“I will not tell you about my plans. They are to be secret until our Wedding Day,” Ivan said softly.
He smiled at her and then, as he put his arms around her, she ceased to think of anything but the wild sensations of excitement he aroused within her just because he was touching her.
Now, driving up to The Castle in the sunshine and holding tightly onto Ivan’s hand, Farica thought that their Wedding, which had taken place within four days of his claiming his rightful place, was exactly what she wanted. And yet she had never thought to put it into words.
Because they were strictly speaking in mourning, although for a man who was evil and wicked, no outsiders, not even their close relatives, were invited to the Wedding.
The Church was filled with the senior servants from The Castle and The Priory, the farmers, the Head Gardeners and their wives and the Head Gamekeepers.
They sat proudly, all wearing their best, in the pews that on other occasions had held the most distinguished personages in the land and in the very front sat Abe and Hagman.
Because there was no time to buy a new Wedding dress, Farica wore one of the beautiful gowns that her father had bought for her to wear in London on an occasion that had never taken place.
She wore a lace veil that had been in the Brooke family for generations, a tiara that the Earl’s mother had worn on her Wedding Day and a necklace of diamonds that was part of the Brooke collection and so beautiful that Farica felt that she had never even imagined anything to equal it.
“You look like a Fairy Princess, my darling,” Ivan said when for a moment there was no cheering at the side of the road and no flower petals falling against their cheeks.
“I want to look as beautiful as I can for you.”
“Could you be anything else?” he asked. “When I first saw you, I thought that you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life and now I know that no Countess of Lydbrooke has ever equalled your loveliness. In fact I intend to have you painted a thousand times so that there is a portrait of you in every room in the house!”
Farica laughed before she protested,
“People would think me very conceited if I allowed you to do anything of the sort. What I want to make sure of is that you look at me and at no other woman.”
“There is no other woman except you in the whole world,” Ivan said and she knew from the deep passionate note in his voice how much he wanted her.
There were more people waiting for them at The Castle, many of them running behind them up the drive or across the fields to be there as quickly as possible.
They had gone first into the house, but there was no long line of guests to shake hands with.
Instead they admired the Wedding presents, which had been arranged in the ballroom, although there were not many of them as so few people knew about the intended marriage.
Then they went into the marquees to cut a Wedding cake in each one and for Ivan to make a speech.
It all took time, until finally Sir Robert said ‘goodbye’ and drove back to The Priory, the lanterns had been lit in the marquees and the last firework had sizzled out over the lake illuminating the excited faces of the village children who were seeing fireworks for the first time.
It was all very simple and very happy and Farica asked Ivan,
“What do we do now?”
“First we have something to eat and one of my surprises is where it will take place.”
Farica had expected that they would be sleeping in the great Master Bedroom where all the Earls of Lydbrooke had slept and that her room would be the one next door, which had not been changed since Ivan’s mother had died.
But instead Ivan took her to another part of The Castle and into some rooms that she had never seen before, but which as she entered them were fragrant with the scent of flowers.
She looked around and realised that the orchids had been brought in from the Conservatory to decorate the whole room.
They made it so beautiful that she gave a little gasp and Ivan explained,
“I am having the rooms that we should by tradition use redecorated and in the meantime, my darling, I thought you would be happier here. These are the rooms I used myself when I was a boy before I went to the War, but which I have learnt from the servants have never been used since.”
Farica knew that in a subtle way he was telling her that he did not wish her to sleep in any room that had been contaminated by Fergus and that when the Master Bedrooms had been redecorated all trace of him would have disappeared.
She thought that no one could be more perceptive than Ivan and she moved closer to him.
He put his arm around her as he went on,
“Come, my precious one, and see where we shall sleep tonight.”
He opened the door into the next room and she knew that he must have worked at an incredible speed to turn what she was sure had been quite an ordinary bedroom into a bower worthy of any Goddess.
There was a huge bed, which she suspected came from another part of The Castle with a gold corolla hung from the ceiling from which fell curtains exactly the colour of her eyes.
But it was difficult to see anything else because again there were flowers, white orchids, white lilacs and white roses, hanging in garlands on the walls and filling the fireplace, because it was too hot to need a fire.
Flowers also flanked on either side of the bed, making it a resting place for Aphrodite herself.
“It’s lovely! Perfectly lovely,” Farica exclaimed. “Thank you, darling, for thinking of it.”
She lifted her lips to his and he kissed her gently. And then drew her back into the sitting room.
Already the servants were bringing in their supper and, as they sat down at the table, Ivan lifted his glass of champagne.
“To my wife,” he toasted softly, “who has guided, helped and inspired me ever since I first met her.”
Farica looked across the table at her husband and said in a whisper,
“To the most wonderful man in the whole world.”
She knew what she said excited Ivan, but the servants were bringing in the food on silver dishes and they could only behave conventionally until supper was finished.
When it was over, as if on Ivan’s instructions, the footmen lifted up the whole table and carried it from the sitting room instead of clearing it, which would have taken more time.
When the door was finally closed behind them, Ivan put his arms around Farica and drew her to the window.
The rooms they were in looked over the back of The Castle so that there was no sound to disturb them and no lights from the marquees to intrude on the quiet beauty of the garden.
Instead there was a fountain throwing its water iridescent towards the stars and there was the scent of honeysuckle and wild rose coming in through the open window.
“This is what I dreamt about all those years when I was fighting first in the Peninsula and then in France,” Ivan said. “I used to imagine myself back here, looking out as we are doing now, before I went to bed.”
Farica put her cheek in a loving gesture against his as he went on,
“In my dreams there
was always somebody here with me, for I was never alone. I know now, my darling, that somebody was you!”
“Do you really – believe we have – met before – in other lives?” Farica asked.
“Of course we have,” he answered. “And we have been journeying towards each other, perhaps for thousands of years. Now that we have found what we have been seeking, we shall be together for all eEernity.”
“That is – what I want to – believe.”
“It is what I do believe,” Ivan declared. “No one, except somebody as perfect as you, my precious darling, could have loved me as a hunted man, possessing nothing but a horse, a pistol and a few sovereigns.”
Farica laughed and it seemed to take away the solemnity of the way that Ivan had spoken.
Ivan sighed.
“I have never in my life envisaged marrying a woman for her money or having a wife who is richer than I am myself.”
“Does it matter?” Farica asked quickly.
“I was just going to tell you,” he answered, “that one of the lessons you have taught me is that money is of no importance whatsoever besides love.”
“Do you really mean that? You promise you will not – resent my having such a – large fortune?”
“It belongs to both of us now, my darling,” he said quietly, “just as The Castle is yours, my people are your people and we share everything we possess, so that it is impossible to know where your half starts and mine begins.”
Farica gave a little cry.
“Oh, Ivan darling, that is what I want you to feel, and I have been so afraid that – you might resent – ”
He stopped what she was going to say with his lips.
Only when he had kissed her so that her heart was beating violently against his did he say,
“There is one way, my lovely wife, that I can prove to you once and for all time that there is no question of my possessions or yours.”
“How can – you do – that?”
It was difficult to understand what he was saying because of the rapture that he had evoked within her so that she wanted him to kiss her and go on kissing her.
His arms tightened and to her surprise he led her from the sitting room into the bedroom where, while they were having supper together, everything had been laid ready for them.
The bed had been turned down and there were just two lit candles one on either side of the bed.
Ivan held her very close against him, but he did not kiss her.
Instead he pulled the pins from her hair so that it fell over her shoulders and he thought again, as he had the first time he had seen her, that it was the colour of the copper beech trees with the sun tipping the leaves with gold.
Then, as she looked up at him, he undid her gown at the back and she felt it fall to the floor like the soft movement of the wind in the trees.
She felt herself thrill and would have hidden her face against him because she felt shy.
But Ivan picked her up in his arms and, carrying her to the bed, laid her down against the pillows.
It was only a few seconds before he joined her and, as she felt him close against her, her heart was beating frantically.
Her love seemed to rise within her so overwhelmingly that she felt as if he carried her along with the swiftness and force of a tidal wave and she did not know where she was going.
“I – love you!” she said and she saw that his lips were very close to hers.
“And I love you, my precious darling,” he breathed. “This is the moment when I prove to you that we are no longer two individuals but one person. What is yours is mine and what is mine is yours. What is more, my wonderful perfect darling, you are completely mine and I will never lose you.”
As he spoke, his lips first found hers and then he was kissing her wildly, her eyes, her cheeks, the softness of her neck until Farica stirred.
Now she knew that the ecstasy he was feeling was the same ecstasy that she felt.
Gently he kissed the softness of her breasts and she could feel his heart beating against hers.
Never had she known such rapture or such excitement, which made her feel as wild as the wind and yet burning with the heat of the sun.
“I love you, Ivan!” she cried. “I love you – please love me – so that I belong to you completely!”
“You are mine,” Ivan asserted, “mine! And, my beloved little wife, nothing shall ever divide us.”
Then, as he made Farica his, she understood why he had said that they were now one person.
They were one and there was only the scent of the flowers, the sound of the angels and the stars looking down on them from the sky above to tell them that they had one heart, one soul, one body and their great love came from one God.
OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
The Barbara Cartland Eternal Collection is the unique opportunity to collect as ebooks all five hundred of the timeless beautiful romantic novels written by the world’s most celebrated and enduring romantic author.
Named the Eternal Collection because Barbara’s inspiring stories of pure love, just the same as love itself, the books will be published on the internet at the rate of four titles per month until all five hundred are available.
The Eternal Collection, classic pure romance available worldwide for all time .
Elizabethan Lover
The Little Pretender
A Ghost in Monte Carlo
A Duel of Hearts
The Saint and the Sinner
The Penniless Peer
The Proud Princess
The Dare-Devil Duke
Diona and a Dalmatian
A Shaft of Sunlight
Lies for Love
Love and Lucia
Love and the Loathsome Leopard
Beauty or Brains
The Temptation of Torilla
The Goddess and the Gaiety Girl
Fragrant Flower
Look Listen and Love
The Duke and the Preacher’s Daughter
A Kiss for the King
The Mysterious Maid-servant
Lucky Logan Finds Love
The Wings of Ecstacy
Mission to Monte Carlo
Revenge of the Heart
The Unbreakable Spell
Never Laugh at Love
Bride to a Brigand
Lucifer and the Angel
Journey to a Star
Solita and the Spies
The Chieftain Without a Heart
No Escape from Love
Dollars for the duke
Pure and Untouched
Secrets
Fire in the Blood
Love, Lies and Marriage
The Ghost who Fell in Love
Hungry for Love
The Wild Cry of Love
The Blue-eyed Witch
The Punishment of a Vixen
The Secret of the Glen
Bride to the King
For All Eternity
King in Love
A Marriage made in Heaven
Who can deny Love?
Riding to the Moon
Wish for Love
Dancing on a Rainbow
Gypsy Magic
Love in the Clouds
Count the Stars
White Lilac
Too Precious to Lose
The Devil Defeated
An Angel Runs Away
The Duchess Disappeared
The Pretty Horse-breakers
The Prisoner of Love
Ola and the Sea Wolf
The Castle made for Love
A Heart is Stolen
The Love Pirate
As Eagles Fly
The Magic of Love
Love Leaves at Midnight
A Witch’s Spell
Love
Comes West
The Impetuous Duchess
A Tangled Web
Love lifts the Curse
Saved By A Saint
Love is Dangerous
The Poor Governess
The Peril and the Prince
A Very Unusual Wife
Say Yes Samantha
Punished with love
A Royal Rebuke
The Husband Hunters
Signpost To Love
Love Forbidden
Gift Of the Gods
The Outrageous Lady
The Slaves Of Love
The Disgraceful Duke
The Unwanted Wedding
Lord Ravenscar’s Revenge
From Hate to Love
A Very Naughty Angel
The Innocent Imposter
A Rebel Princess
A Wish Comes True
Haunted
Passions In The Sand
Little White Doves of Love
A Portrait of Love
The Enchanted Waltz
Alone and Afraid
The Call of the Highlands
The Glittering Lights
An Angel in Hell
Only a Dream
A Nightingale Sang
Pride and the Poor Princess
Stars in my Heart
The Fire of Love
A Dream from the Night
Sweet Enchantress
The Kiss of the Devil
Fascination in France
Love Runs In
Lost Enchantment
Love is Innocent
The Love Trap
No Darkness for Love
Kiss from a Stranger
The Flame Is Love
A Touch of Love
The Dangerous Dandy
In Love In Lucca
The Karma Of Love
Magic For The Heart
Paradise Found
Only Love
A Duel with Destiny
The Heart of the Clan
The Ruthless Rake
Revenge is Sweet
Fire on the Snow
A Revolution of Love
Love at the Helm
Listen to Love
Love Casts out Fear
The Devilish Deception
Riding in the Sky
The Wonderful Dream
This Time it’s Love
The River of Love
A Gentleman in Love
The Island of Love
Miracle for a Madonna
The Storms of Love
The Prince and the Pekingese
The Golden Cage