A Castle of Dreams by Barbara Cartland

she agreed with the dark-haired Scottish girl.
    â€œNow, if you have finished your breakfast, let’s go upstairs and I will find you something to ride in.  Thank Heavens we are roughly the same height and shape!”
    Just as they were crossing the hall, Mrs. Livesey appeared,
    â€œOh, Lady Viola, Captain Howard is in the morning room, waiting to speak to you if that is convenient.”
    â€œMy goodness, yes.  I must find out how the other passengers are today.  Will you excuse me, Meg?”
    â€œCertainly.  I will start sorting out my wardrobe.  If you are to be with us for more than a few days, then you will need more than one outfit to wear!”
    Viola hurried to the morning room to find Captain Howard standing with his back to the window, his peaked cap in his hands.
    â€œCaptain – oh, it is so good to see you fit and well.  How are the passengers – Mr. and Mrs. Van Ashton and all the others?  We had a message that they were safe, but are they fully recovered from their dreadful ordeal?  And what will you do without your beautiful yacht?”
    Captain Howard, an elderly American, smiled, his stern grizzled face softening at the sight of this beautiful young English girl, who had been so charming to himself and his crew on their journey across the Atlantic.
    â€œWe all survived unscathed, thank you, my Lady.  Mr. and Mrs. Van Ashton and the remainder of their party are on their way to London.
    â€œI am heading for Glasgow with my crew.  Mr. Van Ashton has to deal with the insurance officials, but assures me he will purchase another motor yacht just as soon as he can.  We will wait for his instructions.”
    Viola clasped her hands together.
    â€œOh, that is such good news!  Now, tell me, was anything salvaged from the wreck?”
    Captain Howard frowned.
    â€œA few boxes of cargo, a couple of suitcases, but most was lost.”
    Viola tried to sound cheerful.
    â€œThat is sad, of course, but they are only material possessions.  No one has lost their life from that appalling accident, which is the main thing.
    â€œI am writing to my cousin, Miss Matthews, today to tell her what has happened.  She is very elderly and I don’t wish to alarm her, but it is important that she knows we are safe and well.”
    The Captain’s frown deepened.
    He was not sure whether to confide his fears to this lovely girl, but if she was to remain in Scotland, surely she should be warned.
    â€œLady Viola, have you given any thought as to why the ship ran onto those rocks?”
    Viola shook her head, mystified.
    â€œI suppose I imagined it was because of the storm, the wind driving us onto the coast.”
    â€œI think that will be the official version, but my men tell me that they steered for the shelter of the shore because they could see a bright light flashing and believed it to be the light showing the way into a harbour.”
    The dark blue eyes gazing up into his grew even was implying.
    â€œBut surely – no, that just cannot be right!  That would mean – ”
    Captain Howard shook his head grimly.
    â€œYes, my Lady.  It does mean wreckers !  Dastardly fiends deliberately attempting to entice us poor sailors onto the rocks so that they can steal the ship’s cargo.”
    Viola leapt up instantly and walked to the window, gazing out over the tangles of unpruned shrubs and towards the distant mountains.
    â€œI simply cannot believe it.  This is 1904, Captain Howard.  In this day and age, surely such heinous crimes have long been outlawed.”
    â€œYes, my Lady, but on certain parts of the wilder Cornish coast it still occurs occasionally.  I have not heard of it here in Scotland, but my men are quite sure they saw a light.”
    She could find no words to persuade him otherwise, although privately she was convinced that the lookout had fallen asleep at his post and had not realised how far North