When finally he raised his head to look down at her, she turned her face and hid it against his shoulder.
“I am – sorry,” she whispered.
“How could you have done anything so crazy, so reprehensible, so incredibly naughty?” he asked.
She did not answer and he went on,
“God knows in what sort of trouble you might have found yourself, if I had not been there to protect you.”
“But you were – there!” she murmured. “And I – had to find – out the – truth,”
“There would have been better ways of doing it than acting a part having no conception whatever of the type of woman you were pretending to be”
“You – were – deceived!”
“I was completely bewildered,” the Duke replied. “I fell in love with you when you were shocked by the Can-Can that first evening at Carwen’s party, but I could not understand what was happening. How anyone who looked as you looked with your painted face could be so innocent and so obviously ignorant of the world was beyond my comprehension!”
“I – thought I was rather – clever!” Cassandra murmured.
“As a performance it was lamentable! And let me tell you another thing, if I ever catch you reddening your lips again, I will beat you! Do you understand?”
He held her very closely against him and Cassandra said in a small hesitating voice,
“Does that – mean that – you are – going to – marry me?”
He looked down into her eyes and there was a smile on his lips.
“I suppose I shall have to!” he said. “After all the fact that you slept in my suite is extremely compromising. Oh, my darling, when I think of how badly you have behaved and what wild crazy chances you have taken, I am appalled! It terrifies me even now to think of what might have happened to you!”
“I knew I was – safe with – you.”
“You will always be safe with me in the future,” the Duke said firmly, “for the simple reason that I shall never let you out of my sight! How could I when you are so ridiculously lovely? But I am going to punish you because you have deceived me and because you have behaved so badly.”
“How?” Cassandra asked rather apprehensively.
“We are going to be married almost immediately,” he said, “but you are not going to have the pleasure of flaunting yourself in London as the lovely young Duchess of Alchester. We are going on a very long honeymoon trip first to Australia and then to South Africa.”
“How wonderful!” Cassandra cried, her face radiant with happiness.
“When we return,” the Duke went on, “I anticipate it will be time to put our house in order for the future generations.”
For a moment Cassandra did not understand his meaning and then she blushed.
“You mean – ” she began and hesitated.
“I mean exactly what you think I mean,” the Duke answered, “and how, when you blush like that, you ever expected anyone to think of you as a hard-boiled, tough little actress, I just don’t know!”
He kissed her again.
“I love you!” he said after a moment. “I love you so much that I can think of nothing but you.”
“That is what I have felt about – you for years.”
“Have you really been in love with me for so long?” he asked wonderingly.
“Ever since I first saw you. I felt that we were meant for each other. Did you not feel the same?”
“I thought it from the first moment I set eyes on you at Carwen’s party,” the Duke confessed. “I was depressed, worried and very apprehensive about the future. Then I saw you standing in front of me and everything was changed from that moment.”
“And nothing else – matters?” Cassandra asked.
He saw the meaning in her eyes and knew what she asked.
“Nothing, my precious,” he said. “Titles, money, rank are unimportant compared with a love like ours! A love that will last all through our lives.”
“I love – you!” Cassandra whispered. “I love you – agonisingly.”
Then the Duke’s lips were on hers fiercely, passionately and demanding as they asked for her complete and absolute surrender.
She knew that he would always be her Master and gloried in his strength.
She felt that he swept her away into a sunlit perfect world where there was only themselves.
He raised his head.
“Do – you really – love me?” she whispered.
“I worship you – my wonderful darling.”
“For – ever?”
“For eternity and beyond.”
Cassandra gave a sigh of sheer happiness and then the Duke’s lips blotted out thought.
She could only thrill and thrill at the rapture and ecstasy of a love that was so much a part of the Divine.
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
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
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
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 astonishing 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.
The Glittering Lights
Barbara Cartland
Barbara Cartland Ebooks Ltd
This edition © 2014
Copyright Cartland Promotions 1975
eBook conversion by M-Y Books