104. A Heart Finds Love by Barbara Cartland Page A

on,
    “I often thought that if I have to earn my own living I might become a teacher of children, or better still, teach Russian, French or any European language in a school.”
    “It certainly seems a good idea – ”
    The Duke looked at William as he spoke.
    “I should be delighted,” William said, “to learn Russian from such a charming and attractive teacher. I can only hope that I will prove a clever pupil who will do you credit.”
    The Duke chuckled.
    “Well, after that what can I say except ‘yes’! But you must not be too severe with us. I like being at sea and I enjoy being on the bridge more than anything else.”
    “I can understand that but then your education must come first and I promise you, although it is a very difficult language, it will be an asset when we arrive.”
    “Of course it will,” William said, “and we must insist that John attends to his lessons. I have a feeling he will dislike it if I beat him!”
    “I have to be first in everything, as you well know,” the Duke answered. “I must make sure that Alnina points me out as her best and most promising pupil!”
    Because she had anticipated that they would, when she was not actually teaching them, ask her a number of questions, she had been sensible enough to bring with her a few books on Russia and text books on the language.
    Some of them she had used when she was learning it herself and, when she told the Duke and William what she had done, they said that it was very thoughtful of her.
    “But,” the Duke said, “today is a holiday and I refuse to have any meals spoilt by being told how I should pronounce food in Russian, which I have always thought was a very ugly language.”
    “Not as ugly as German, but you are quite right and we will start our lessons tomorrow morning. I think they should take at least two hours every day. And perhaps you should do some homework on memorising vocabulary.”
    She smiled at them both.
    “Then when we reach Tiflis,” she went on, “you will be able to give your orders to the servants in Russian and also, of course, to the overseer of your mountain.”
    “When it really becomes yours,” William muttered.
    “I will look forward to that,” the Duke replied. “Now let’s talk of more interesting subjects.”
    “I have hardly had time yet,” Alnina said, “to read much about Georgia. But, as you know, the Caucasians were always particularly dangerous fighting men.”
    “Worse than from other parts of Russia?” William asked.
    “Yes, indeed. In one book I was reading it said that the Caucasians wrote love poems to their daggers.”
    The two men laughed.
    “I hope we will not do that,” the Duke said, “when I become a Caucasian proprietor.”
    “I hope not too, John, because my books tell me that they lived and died by the dagger.”
    “Now that I think about it,” William said, “I do remember hearing that they are very revengeful people and never forgive anyone who insults them.”
    “I read that too. A young Caucasian Prince, who was only twelve years old, boasted, ‘I am at my eleventh head’.”
    “I don’t believe it,” the Duke exclaimed.
    “It was also reported that he spoke French with a Parisian accent and coveted his father’s bag of twenty-four rebel heads!”
    “Now you are beginning to frighten me,” William came in, “and if you do, I will simply stay on the yacht and refuse to set foot on the ground!”
    “I cannot believe that they are as violent as they were when the book was written,” Alnina commented, “but there is a vivid description here of the Battle in 1795 when Agha Mohammed, the Persian eunuch, took over Tiflis.”
    “What happened?” the Duke asked.
    “His troops raped all the women they fancied and, as a memento of their victory, they hamstrung the right leg of every virgin taken.”
    “I have never heard of anything quite so appalling,” William said. “I have a good mind to demand that you turn around here and now, John, and