Love Drives In by Barbara Cartland

a good idea for people to think he has a young secretary who looks, to my mind, overdressed. That sort of thing is not good for his reputation."
    Dorina drew in her breath.
    For a moment she thought she should be as rude to Lady Musgrove as she was being to her.
    Again she thought it would be a mistake.
    Instead she said,
    "Lodgings in London are very expensive."
    "Then I suggest is that you look harder," Lady Musgrove retorted. "I am sure in some back alley you will find a cheap bedroom where, at least, you can spend any free time you have, rather than staying here in Grosvenor Square."
    As she finished speaking she turned on her heel and swept out of the office.
    She shut the door noisily behind her.
    'She is ghastly,' Dorina thought. 'I expect she is honey-mouthed and charming when the Earl is here. But he has no idea that she can be so poisonous to anyone she thinks is beneath her.'
    She did not see Lady Musgrove again and learned later that, after waiting for another hour, she had left.
    "Good riddance to bad rubbish, as far as I'm concerned," the butler said.
    Dorina laughed.
    "She certainly told me off and I expect when she comes back again she will hope to find this room empty."
    "Don't take any notice what she says to you," Henly told her. "She's been the same ever since I first saw her. She orders me about and complains that the food isn't cooked as she really likes it. Then when his Lordship appears she's sweetness and light."
    "Does he believe all that nonsense?" Dorina asked.
    Henly shrugged his shoulders.
    "Men are always taken in by a pretty face," he replied. "Her Ladyship never lets him forget for a moment that she was once known as the prettiest girl in Mayfair."
    "I'm surprised at that!" Dorina exclaimed with unusual tartness.
    The butler grinned in comprehension.
    "That was ten years ago," he told her. "Now I think her looks have got as sharp as her tongue, and that's saying something!"
    Dorina laughed.
    "It certainly is," she agreed. "I only hope that his Lordship does not listen to her. But I suppose all men like to be praised."
    The butler thought for a moment before saying,
    "If a man has any sense he'd want to see the woman he marries when she's her real self and not blinding him from the truth, which he learns soon enough after they are married."
    "Now you're being very cynical," Dorina said.
    "When you work for an Earl you do get a bit cynical about the tricks ladies get up to," he said. "They all want to trap him into marriage. She's not the only one."
    "No, I'm sure." Dorina agreed, thinking of Elsie.
    'How can they do it?' she thought silently. 'How can any woman marry a man for his title? When I marry, if I ever do, I want to be very much in love.'
    The butler left her and sometime later she heard the Earl's voice in the hall and knew that he had returned.
    To her surprise, for it was something he had not done before, he came into her office instead of sending for her to go to his sitting room.
    "How were the races?" she asked, thinking how well he looked.
    "Wonderful. My horse won. Now I'm in festive mood, and want to celebrate. Let us go out somewhere tonight."
    "What?" she echoed, half laughing.
    "Come, let us have an evening of celebration. We will wine, dine and be merry. Say that you'll come with me."
    "Yes, of course" she replied, laughing openly now, with sheer delight at the thought of an evening with him.
    "Let me tell you – " he began.
    But before he could say any more they heard the butler's step outside. The next moment he entered with a letter on a silver salver.
    "This has just been delivered, my Lord," he said, "and the bearer of it is waiting for an answer."
    The Earl picked up the letter.
    As he looked at the writing, Dorina thought a frown appeared between his eyes.
    He opened the letter, read its contents and then said to the butler.
    "Tell the bearer that I will send an answer tomorrow," he said, almost curtly.
    "Very good, my Lord," the butler replied and left the