Love is Triumphant by Barbara Cartland Page A

tolerate you buying your way into society by making false love to innocent women. Keep your distance from young ladies, and behave like a gentleman."
    She could see that he was inwardly seething with rage, but caution forced him to keep his voice low.
    "You have property of mine that I want returned," he said through gritted teeth.
    "I have nothing that belongs to you."
    "My letters – "
    "Letters belong to the recipient, who was Miss Draycott, and she entrusted them to me. You might call me her executor."
    Driven beyond endurance, he seized her wrist and dragged her into the darkness beneath the trees.
    "Don't play games with me," he snapped.
    "I'm not playing," she assured him. "If you're so sure these things belong to you why not make a legal challenge, and we'll face each other in court?"
    Even in this light she could see him grow paler. She knew he couldn't risk anything that might expose the contents of those letters.
    "Leave my friend alone," she told him, "or I'll ruin you."
    "It's not as easy as you think. I have made – certain pledges – to Lady Doreen, and if I were to – that is – "
    "If you were to offend her now, she might complain to her father who would withdraw his influence," Rosina supplied. "You will simply have to take that chance, because I will not allow a man like you to marry her. Now let me go."
    She wrenched herself free of him and ran away, back into the light, almost into the arms of Sir John. "Good heavens, what's happened?" he demanded.
    As he spoke he took hold of her, and she felt how much more pleasant it was to be held by Sir John than to be held by Mr. Woodward.
    "Take me home," she begged. "Just take me home, please."
    He did so, putting his arm about her and hurrying away towards the waiting carriage.
    Neither of them saw Lady Doreen standing there watching Rosina's departure with a face full of disillusion.
    *
    The following morning Rosina was alone when the butler announced,
    "Lady Doreen Blakemore, madam."
    The girl who entered the room was unlike the person Rosina knew. Gone was her youthful exuberance. Now her face was sad and haunted.
    "How could you do it, Rosina?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "I thought we were friends. I trusted you, and you try to take my Arthur from me."
    "I? – Try to take him from you?" she echoed, astounded.
    "I saw you last night, running out of the trees, and Arthur coming out after you. You had been together. Don't try to deny it."
    "I don't but – "
    "I spoke to him, and he confessed everything."
    "He did?"
    "He told me how you'd tried to come between us because you wanted him for yourself."
    "How dare he!" Rosina exploded. "Me? Want that greedy, deceitful, callous, heartless, lying – me?"
    Despite her distress Lady Doreen stared at her, astonished and impressed by Rosina's forcefulness.
    "It's true that I've tried to break you up, and I won't give up until I've done so. But not because I want him myself. He's the last man I could ever want."
    "Then I don't understand you," Lady Doreen said.
    "Mr. Woodward is not the injured innocent he pretends to be. Only very recently he was writing passionate love letters to someone else, swearing eternal fidelity, saying that no other woman in the world could mean anything to him.
    "She fell madly in love with him, and every day she waited for him to propose. Instead, he wrote to her breaking it off, saying he had found a better match. The woman was devastated."
    Lady Doreen had recovered her composure and was looking at Rosina with scorn.
    "And this woman – I suppose she is yourself?"
    "Oh no," Rosina said sadly. "Her name was Elizabeth Draycott, and she was my friend."
    Lady Doreen stared at her.
    "Was?" she asked.
    "Yes, was. She is dead now."
    The other girl made one last attempt.
    "I do not believe you," she said. "This is all lies."
    Rosina sighed.
    "In that case, come upstairs. There's something I must show you."
    Reluctantly Lady Doreen followed her up to her room and sat down as far away