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.She looked so lovely that the Marquis could understand the Duke’s desire to be alone with her.He was, however, very angry about it.He sat down beside her.“It’s all right,” he told her in a quiet voice.“He has left now.”Carola gave a little cry and turned her face against his shoulder.“I-I never thought – never imagined – he would – come to my bedroom,” she murmured.“I expect he wanted to talk to you,” the Marquis said.“It is very difficult to do so when there are so many people listening.”“He s-said,” Carola went on, “that he – wanted to – kiss me, but – I don’t want – him to.”The Marquis thought that the Duke would want a great deal more than a kiss and he realised that Carola was so innocent that she would not understand, so he said,“I am quite sure he will not come back.”He felt a little tremor go through Carola’s body before she stammered,“It was – clever of you to – pretend that – Peter was here.”“Actually,” the Marquis smiled, “I am rather proud of myself, but it would be a mistake to accuse the Duke of being over-familiar.”“I have been – trying to – avoid that – I have – really!” Carola said pleadingly.She did not want the Marquis to think that she had encouraged the Duke or that she had flirted with him so that he thought he could take liberties with her.“I noticed that,” the Marquis replied, “and I thought it was very sensible of you to come to me for help.At the same time, Carola, he is a Duke and unmarried.”Carola raised her head and he could see the astonishment in her eyes.“Y-you do not – mean – ?” she began.She paused and went on,“But he is – old – very old – and it never – crossed my mind that he might be – in l-love with me.”“You are very beautiful,” the Marquis said quietly, “and you have to get used, Carola, to men losing their heads when they look at you, whether they are old or young.”Carola shivered before she said,“I think the – sooner I can – go back to – living quietly with only – my horses for company – the better!”The Marquis smiled.“I think that would be a great waste of your looks and, of course, your brains, which we have talked about before.”“I never – imagined that – anyone like – the Duke would – come to my room! Mama – would be – horrified!”“I think she would also be shocked at you pretending to be my wife,” the Marquis laughed, “but you are aware that by doing so you have now saved me and, of course, Peter from being continually in need of money.”Carola gave a little gasp of excitement.Then she exclaimed,“You mean – everything is settled? You are to be the Chairman and Peter is on the Board of Directors?”“It was all arranged this evening before dinner and, unless something terrible happens, it will be signed and sealed as soon as we all return to London.”“I am glad – so very – very – glad!”“And I am very grateful,” the Marquis added.Carola rose to her feet.“Do you think it is safe now for me to go back to my room?” she asked a little nervously.“Yes, I am sure it is, Carola, but let me first make certain.”He stood up, walked across the room and opened the communicating door.With the moonlight shining through the window he could see that Carola’s room was empty and the door into the corridor was closed.He felt Carola move up behind him.“Has he – really – gone?” she whispered.“You can see for yourself,” the Marquis answered, “but so that you will not worry I will lock your door while you get into bed.”When he had done so, he turned round.In the moonlight she looked ethereal and insubstantial like a Princess in a Fairy tale.The Marquis stood gazing at her without speaking.She pushed back her long hair from her shoulders before she said,“Thank you – thank you for being so – kind and understanding – perhaps it was – stupid of me to be so – frightened – but – ”“What you did was very sensible,” the Marquis assured her.“You came to me and, if there are any more disturbances in the night, whether they be ghosties, ghoulies or human beings, remember that I am next door.”Carola laughed at the way he spoke, as he meant her to do.Just as she thought that he was about to leave her she put out her hand.“You may think me – very foolish,” she said a little hesitatingly, “but – could you just leave the door between us – open? Then if I do – scream you – will hear – me.”“I promise you I am a very light sleeper,” the Marquis answered.“If you should call me, I will come at once.”“Thank – you.”The Marquis took her hand in his.“Now go to sleep,” he suggested, “I want you to look especially lovely tomorrow so that Alton goes back to America thinking that, whatever else Society may be like, our Marchionesses are very beautiful.”Again Carola laughed,“I am sure, whatever – you may – say, he will find – an American woman who will – eclipse the English.”“I expect you are right,” the Marquis agreed.“At the same time, when I do marry, it will not be to an American!”He spoke so firmly that Carola was surprised.Instead of kissing her hand, he picked it up and put it gently down on the sheet in front of her.“Goodnight, Carola,” he said and his voice was very deep.“Goodnight,” she answered.“Once again – you have waved – your magic – wand and – everything is – enchanted!”“That is what I want it to be,” the Marquis said quietly.He walked to the window and closed the curtains, shutting out the moonlight and the stars.Then he went from the room leaving the communicating door open behind him.*The Marquis had given his valet, Dawkins, strict instructions to call him early as he intended to ride before breakfast.He had invited Alton Westwood to ride with him suggesting that they should take some exercise before it was time to go to Church.The American said it was something he would greatly enjoy and the Marquis promised to take him to a part of the estate where they had not been before.“There are some hedges there,” he said, “too high for any woman to jump, but I think you will enjoy them.”“I sure will!” Alton Westwood replied.The Marquis was helped into his clothes by his valet in silence.He disliked talking first thing in the morning and when he was ready, Dawkins, who had been with him for many years, said,“I thought I ought to let your Lordship know, that yesterday when one of the new servants was down in the village ’e says they was a-talkin’ in the pub about some nasty lookin’ strangers who was askin’ if you, my Lord, ’ad an American stayin’ ’ere.”“Strangers?” the Marquis enquired sharply.“They was a-sayin’ in the pub as they talked in a strange manner through their noses and I were a-wonderin’, my Lord, if that meant trouble for Mr.Westwood.”The Marquis was frowning.“It certainly seems odd that there should be Americans in our village,” he remarked, “but it would be better, Dawkins, to say nothing to Mr.Westwood or his manservant
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