A Dream Come True by Barbara Cartland Page B

staircase and floor-to-ceiling panelling.
    In spite of herself, she felt strangely drawn to him. It was as if a spell was cast and she was helpless in its thrall.
    As they walked along, she could feel the heat emanating from him.
    He moved with a vulpine grace and she could not help but stare at his fine shape as he walked in front of her.
    His shoulders were broad and strong and his muscular torso tapered to a narrow waist with an elegance that became him. She tried not to notice the strong legs as he strode purposefully towards a room at the end of a long gallery. It was filled with portraits in oils and Lucia assumed they were of his ancestors.
    â€œI hope you will not mind if you begin at once. It is just that I have an appointment in a while and I am a little late.”
    He turned towards her as he opened the door and flashed a smile that touched something inside of her.
    â€œCome and see my Underwood Number One,” he called, obviously proud of the fact that he owned a typewriting machine.
    Inside the study was a desk with the typewriter all ready for use, a letter rack holding sheets of crested notepaper and a stack of letters yet to be opened.
    â€œYou will sit there,” he said gesturing towards the desk. “If the chair is not comfortable, you must tell me at once and I shall have Jepson arrange for another to be brought in. I want you to feel at home,” he added in a low confidential tone.
    Lucia did not dare to stand too close to him. There was something overwhelmingly manly about him that unnerved her.
    â€˜Compared with him, Edward is a wet youth,’ thought Lucia, as Lord Winterton ran through the names of the servants and what they did.
    He seemed quite unabashed that when he leaned forward over the desk to show her something, his shirt fell open and exposed his abundantly hairy chest.
    â€˜Is he attempting to seduce me by showing off his body in this way?’ she asked herself, as she inched away from him.
    â€œMama has asked that I have a chaperone,” she said suddenly.
    â€œReally?” answered Lord Winterton arching one elegant eyebrow. He stroked his moustache. “You don’t wish to compromise your reputation?”
    Lord Winterton laughed softly and then smiled to himself.
    â€œIn that case, I shall ask my housekeeper to keep you company or I am certain Antoinette, whom you shall meet later, would be happy to sit with you. I would have thought that in the circumstances you would not have required a nanny – ”
    He stared at her and Lucia felt a surge of anger.
    â€˜Is he intimating that I am immature and unable to look after myself? she thought. ‘How dare he!’
    It had also not escaped her notice that he had made an oblique reference to the fact that they were unofficially betrothed. She was so cross that she could not reply.
    â€œNow,” he continued, without waiting for an answer, “answer those letters and I will return shortly. I have business to attend to. Are there any other questions?”
    â€œNo,” replied Lucia still smarting from his previous comment. “I am sure I will manage.”
    She sat down in the leather chair and ran her fingers over the keyboard of the typewriter. In an instant she was transported back to her Parisian Finishing School.
    Lord Winterton stood in the doorway of the study and gave a quick smile before disappearing.
    Immediately, Lucia let out a sigh of relief and set about familiarising herself with her desk.
    â€˜Fountain pen, pencils, ruler, eraser,’ she ticked off. ‘Typing paper, notepad, letter opener. Yes, it all appears to be here.’
    She stared at the pile of letters. Some of them had been opened, but others were still sealed.
    â€œSurely he cannot mean me to open them before he has seen them?” she wondered out loud.
    At the same moment, Jepson, the butler, came into the room.
    â€œI could not help but overhear, Miss Mountford. think you will find that