Love Lords and Lady-Birds. Barbara Cartland

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СКАЧАТЬ chosen him to be my Guardian? I expect he is old, strait-laced and doubtless religious as well, so he will disapprove of anything amusing.”

      “And why should you think he will be like that?”

      “Because Papa, having lived an exciting and adventurous life himself, wanted to protect me. He was always saying, ‘when you grow up, my darling, you must never make the same mistakes as I have’.”

      “And had he made a lot of mistakes?”

      “I don’t think so. Not as far as I was concerned,” Petrina answered. “But he fought quite a number of duels over beautiful ladies and so I expect he was referring to them.”

      She gave a little exclamation and flung out her hands.

      “Whatever it was, here am I saddled with this beastly old Guardian! When I think of all my money locked up in his safe or hidden under his bed, I could scream!”

      They drove on for a little while in silence.

      Then the Earl said,

      “I told you I have no desire to become involved in your mad escapade and I make no promises, but perhaps, seeing the circumstances in which we have met, I could speak to your Guardian.”

      Petrina turned round to stare at him in surprise, her eyes very wide.

      “Would you really do that?” she asked. “That is so kind of you. I take back all the things I have been thinking about you.”

      “What were you thinking?” the Earl asked curiously.

      “I thought that you were rather top-lofty, stiff-necked, the grand old man stuffed with wisdom and condescending to the poor little peasant girl who knows no better.”

      The Earl laughed as if he could not help himself.

      “You are the most incorrigible brat I have ever met in my life. I cannot believe that you are really serious in your intentions and yet, because you are so obviously unpredictable, I am half-afraid that you are serious.”

      “I am entirely serious,” Petrina assured him. “And, if you go to see my Guardian, I shall hide myself, so that if he says ‘no’, he will not be able to find me and I can go on with my own plans.”

      “Your own plans are not only entirely impractical, they are exceedingly reprehensible,” the Earl said sharply, “and would not be considered by any woman who might call herself ‘a lady’.”

      Petrina laughed.

      “I knew we would get round sooner or later to the subject of being a lady. ‘A lady does not go out walking without her gloves, a lady never answers back, and a lady does not walk in the street unescorted or go dancing until she is fully grown-up.’ I am fed up with hearing about ladies! They lead the most boring, dull and restricted lives. I want to be free!”

      “The sort of freedom which you envisage for yourself is absolutely impossible.”

      “Only because you think I am a lady.”

      “Well, you are and so there is nothing you can do about it.”

      “Except behave like a Lady-Bird.”

      She was silent for a moment and then she said speculatively,

      “I cannot help really wondering how they do behave, but I expect I shall see lots of them in London. Claire says I shall recognise them because they are usually very smart, very pretty and drive in Hyde Park unattended.”

      She paused and glanced at the Earl from under her eyelashes as she added,

      “Except by gentlemen, of course.”

      “But the women to whom you are referring are not ladies and they certainly do not have fortunes like yours to fall back on.”

      “Think how pleased the gentlemen will be with me if they don’t have to provide me with carriages and lots and lots of jewellery!”

      The Earl did not answer and, after a moment, she asked him,

      “How much does your mistress cost you a year?”

      Once again the Earl was startled into almost losing control of his horses and then he said sharply,

      “You are not to ask such questions! You are not to talk about such women. You are to behave yourself. Do you understand?”

      “Because you say so?” Petrina asked. “You have no jurisdiction over me, as you well know.”

      “I can refuse to take you any further,” the Earl threatened.

      Petrina looked round her with a smile.

      They had joined the main highway to London and there was quite a considerable amount of traffic not only of private phaetons and carriages but Post-chaises and stagecoaches.

      “If I had any sense,” the Earl averred, “I would put you down and leave you to go to the devil your own way.”

      Petrina giggled.

      “I am not afraid if that is what you want to do. Now I am so near to London, I can take a stagecoach or hire a post chaise to go the rest of the way.”

      “And when you reach London, where do you intend to stay?”

      “At a hotel”

      “No respectable hotel would have you.”

      “I know the name of one that will,” Petrina retorted. “Rupert told Claire it was where he had sometimes stayed with a Lady-Bird, so I don’t think they will refuse me.”

      The trouble with the Viscount Coombe, the Earl thought angrily, was that he talked far too freely in front of his sister.

      “Have you heard of the Griffin Hotel off Jermyn Street?” Petrina asked.

      The Earl had indeed and he knew it was not the sort of environment for a young woman alone, least of all anyone as young and unsophisticated as Petrina.

      “I am going to take you straight to your Guardian,” he said aloud. “I will explain your predicament to him and I think I can promise that at least he will listen to me and I hope will behave in a reasonable manner.”

      “He might, if you are of sufficient importance,” Petrina said after a moment, “and I think you must be to have horses like yours.”

      “What is your Guardian’s name?” the Earl asked.

      Petrina did not answer for a moment and he guessed that she was considering whether she could trust him or not.

      Because of her reluctance to trust him, he then lost control of his temper.

      “Dammit all! I am doing my very best. Any other girl would be grateful.”

      “I am grateful to you for bringing me this far,” Petrina answered slowly.

      “Then СКАЧАТЬ