A Virgin Bride by Barbara Cartland Page B

her head.
    â€œI would love to be at your wedding more than anything else, but I get so tired and the doctor suggests I rest as
much as I possibly can. What I would like when you
have been married a little while and have grown used to
your wife is that you bring her here. You know what I am
saying. I hope you will come here in August.”
    â€œOf course I will. I always do come at that time.”
    â€œThen I will be arranging to move out to the Dower
House, which your father arranged many years ago should
be mine.”
    Rock gave a cry.
    â€œNo Mama! How can you think of leaving me? I do
not want to be alone here with a strange young woman! You have always made it really happy and comfortable here
for me and my friends year after year.”
    â€œI know, Rock. But your wife must be Mistress of
The Castle, just as she will be Mistress of Rockinston Hall.”
    â€œThat I suppose must happen eventually, but for the
moment, Mama, I want you to promise me that you will be
here to help me when we arrive. You can hardly expect a
young girl to organise all the shooting parties, luncheon on
the hill and the huge amount of extra work there will be for
everyone once we arrive.”
    â€œI understand what you are saying, Rock, but I must
make it clear that I am certainly not one of those mothers
who resents giving up the main house to the new wife.”
    â€œYou are moving too fast, Mama. I want you here
and I want everything to be perfect for my friends when we
fish and shoot. No one can organise that as well as you. If
nothing else – you will show her how to do it.”
    â€œI can see your point,” she agreed. “Now, dear boy, you must tell me what I am to say to the family who will all be having hysterics, having read of your engagement in The Gazette before we told them that you had decided at last to settle down.”
    â€œI wonder how often I have heard the words ‘settle down’? I only hope, Mama, that when we meet my bride, we are not all disappointed.”
    â€œIf I have to keep your secret and pretend that you have met her and fallen in love, then we will have to work out what we say and make sure everyone believes us!”
    Rock laughed and kissed his mother.
    â€œI knew you would understand, Mama. The whole situation is almost absurdly complicated, but entirely my fault. Yet I think under the circumstances there is nothing else I could have done.”
    â€œI do see, and I think it is very very clever of you. I suppose the Duke has also agreed that the reason for this unseemly haste is not to be spoken about to anyone.”
    Rock hesitated.
    â€œI suppose if I am honest, Mama, many people in London will have guessed the reason for my engagement being announced just at the time the Earl has declared he will shoot me on sight or wring my neck!”
    She gave a little cry, so he continued quickly,
    â€œMost people will know that the Duke of Lynbrook has been a friend of mine ever since I started racing. They will then assume that I have known Venetia for years.”
    â€œAnd why have you not met her?”
    â€œI suppose when I first visited the Duke’s house she was still in the nursery. For almost the last three years she has been at school in France.”
    â€œNow I understand why I have not read about her or seen her picture in The Lady’s Magazine . I thought it strange there was nothing about her in the Social columns Miss Sunderland reads to me so attentively.”
    â€œBe very careful what you say to Miss Sunderland. After all people here will undoubtedly question her as to what you think about my marriage and the least she says the better.”
    â€œShe cannot say what she does not know. I think you yourself must tell the members of the clan that your engagement has been announced in London. I should not be surprised if it’s in The Scotsman already.”
    â€œI will say as little as possible, and, Mama, I am looking to you to