Barbara Cartland Love, Lords & Lady Birds (pdf)

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you do so."
The shrubs parted and from them there came a man.
She could see his face by the light from the sky and she realised he was a stranger and not, as
she had expected, one of the household.
"Who are you?" she asked. "And why are you here?"
"I must apologise," he replied.
"You realise that you are trespassing?"
"Yes, and I will leave at once."
Petrina looked at him uncertainly, then she said:
"If you are a thief or a burglar, I should not allow you to do so."
"I promise you, Miss Lyndon, that I have no intention of stealing anything."
"You know who I am?" Petrina asked.
"Yes."
"But how, and why are you here?"
"I would rather not answer that question, but I promise you I will not do any material harm
and I will leave at once if you wish."
"What do you mean by 'material harm'?" Petrina asked.
The stranger smiled and she realised he was young, under twenty-five, and although she
could not see him clearly she knew he was dressed neatly, but not with the elegance that might
be expected from a gentleman.
"Who are you?" she asked again.
"My name is Nicholas Thornton, which will mean nothing to you."
"What do you do?"
"I am a reporter."
'You are a reporter?" Petrina echoed, then added:
"You mean you are here to report on what is happening tonight? I am sure the Earl would
not like that. This is a private party."
She knew that when the Prince dined privately with one of his friends, every step was taken
to prevent it coming to the notice of the press.
Nicholas Thornton smiled again.
"I can promise you, Miss Lyndon, that His Royal Highness's presence at Staverton House is
not my main reason for being here."
"Then what?" Petrina enquired.
"That is something I cannot tell you, but I would be grateful if you would allow me to stay."
"How did you get in, as a matter of interest?" she asked.
"I climbed over the wall."
"Then you most certainly are trespassing. If I were doing what is right, I should be screaming
loudly for help and have you thrown out."
"I am aware of that, but because I know you are kind to people less fortunate than yourself, I
beg you to let me stay."
"How do you know I am kind?" Petrina asked suspiciously.
"I have heard about the money you have been giving to the women on the streets."
"If you have heard about it, please do not write anything about it for your newspaper,"
Petrina said pleadingly. "It would annoy my Guardian exceedingly and I too would not wish it
to become known publicly."
Nicholas Thornton did not answer and Petrina said:
"Please ... I am asking you this as a favour."
"May I ask one in return?"
"What is it?"
"That you let me stay."
"I suppose that is reasonable," Petrina said doubtfully, "but I should like you to tell me why."
"I will tell you if you swear that you will not change your mind and have me thrown out of
the garden."
"1 can only decide that when I hear what you have to say," she answered.
She was trying to be cautious; at the same time, she was aware how much the Earl would
dislike any publicity about her generosity to the prostitutes in Piccadilly and she knew how
shocked the Dowager Duchess would be at the thought of her speaking to such women.
She sat down on the seat, feeling rather helpless.
"Tell me what you want," she said, "and I will try to understand."
'That is kind of you, Miss Lyndon," Nicholas Thornton said, seating himself beside her,
"because although it may not seem of much consequence to you, it is extremely important to me
personally."
"Why?"
"Because if I can get a story tonight it might affect my whole future."
"How could it do that?"
"Have you ever heard of someone called William Hone?"
"I do not think so," Petrina replied.
"He is what is commonly called a 'Press Hero,'" Nicholas Thornton explained. "He has been a
Reformer since 1796, when at age sixteen he joined the London Correspondents Society."
"What does he do?" Petrina asked.
"He owns the Weekly Reformists Register."
"I have heard of that," Petrina said. "In fact I have read issues of it."
"I write for it," Nicholas Thornton told her, "but William Hone was in prison last year and
because he was not there the paper almost faded away."
"What is he doing now?" Petrina asked.
"He is free, and he intends to bring out a newspaper called John Bull. He has promised me a
good position on it if it goes well, and I think it will."
"But it is not yet published?"
"It takes time to bring out a new paper," Nicholas Thornton said. "In the meantime, I am
trying to show William Hone exactly what stories I can produce, and he has arranged to have
them published by a friend of his who owns the Courier."
"I understand," Petrina said, "but what is this story which is so important to you?"
"I am going to be quite honest with you, Miss Lyndon," Nicholas Thornton said, "because
without your goodwill I shall be turned out of the garden. Then I shall be forced, of course, to use
the story about you rather than the one I have come here to obtain."
He spoke pleasantly and quietly, but Petrina was well aware of the threat behind his words.
"Tell me," she said.
"You know Lady Isolda Herbert?" Nicholas Thornton questioned.
"Of course."
"And you know that everyone is expecting her engagement to the Earl of Staverton to be
announced at any moment?"
"Yes," Petrina said in a low voice.
"Well, apparently," Nicholas Thornton went on, "the Earl is lagging his feet, and Her
Ladyship is finding it difficult to make him say the words that will make her the Countess of
Staverton."
Petrina did not speak. She only felt that the pain of what this man was saying stabbed at her
as if he used a weapon.
"Lady Isolda has thought up a litde scheme of her own," Nicholas Thornton continued.
Petrina stiffened to attention.
"A scheme of her own?" she repeated. "What is it?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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