A Virgin Bride by Barbara Cartland Page B

tiresome husband has been unfaithful to her again?” Mama asked.
    â€œDoes he ever do anything else? But this time it is worse for Helen than before.”
    â€œWhy?” Mama wanted to know.
    â€œBecause he thinks he has fallen in love with her half-sister.”
    She was obviously shocked.
    â€œAre you certain?” she enquired. “After all Helen’s half-sister has been married to Lord Temple now for three years and I thought they were very happy.”
    â€œWe all thought that, but apparently Helen found Cyril not only consoling Belinda after she had quarrelled with her husband, but kissing her passionately too. Poor Helen was too upset to protest.”
    â€œSo what happened?”
    â€œShe was almost certain, although of course Cyril lied to her, that they had gone away for a romantic weekend on his yacht. Helen, as you know, loathes the sea and is seasick if there is even a ripple on the water!”
    Venetia had not meant to listen in, nor had she been particularly interested.
    She had merely thought it would be fun to go on a yacht and wondered if her Papa would buy one.
    Now, as the conversation came back to her, she could not help thinking that if this was what marriage meant she would much rather stay single.
    Yet she recognised she would like to have children and one day hopefully a son.
    She was well aware that, happy though her father and mother were, it had been a source of sadness for them both that they had not produced a son.
    Because her Mama was not very strong she had not had another baby after Venetia and it suddenly struck her that, if she had a number of brothers, her father would not be so keen on her making an important marriage.
    And if he could not have a son himself, he wanted a grandson.
    She would also be expected to supply an heir to the Rockinston Dukedom.
    The mere idea of the unknown Duke touching her made her shudder.
    She had no wish to have a strange man touch or kiss her.
    Although the girls at School who had been kissed said it was a wonderful experience, it was something that seemed unreal to her.
    Yet now she told herself, although the suddenness of it seemed incredible, the Duke would not only expect to kiss her but also to give her a son.
    â€˜How can I possibly do so with a man I don’t love?’ Venetia asked herself fervently.
    As her father drove on, she wondered if instead of accepting the situation as Lady Manvill had persuaded her to do, she should after all run away and escape
    It had been her first impulse.
    But she had no money and where could she go?
    Whatever she might have said to Papa yesterday, whatever protests she might have made, the engagement had been announced in the newspaper this morning.
    That tied her hands more effectively than anything else – in fact, as she told herself, it bound chains round her ankles.
    So she simply could not run away and as they drove on she was thinking,
    â€˜How could this happen to me? And now that it has happened, how can I somehow be free of the Duke and all men like him?’
    *
    They reached Lynbrook Hall in good time for a late luncheon.
    As they drove up the drive, Venetia thought she had forgotten how beautiful the house was, silhouetted against a number of vast fir trees.
    The whole place seemed brilliant with colour and as the sun glinted on the windows, Venetia thought it gave her a special welcome.
    â€œWe are home! We are home!” she breathed.
    Her father turned his head to smile at her.
    â€œAnd in record time. I have never driven so fast before and no one else has managed to do this drive from London in just four hours.”
    There was triumph in his voice and Venetia said,
    â€œYou drive magnificently, Papa, you always do.”
    â€œThat is a compliment I really appreciate, Venetia, and after luncheon I will show you our new horses.”
    â€œI would love that and as I would love to ride, I will change now into my habit as quickly as