The Castle of Love by Barbara Cartland Page B

Felice used to think so 'good'.
    Felice was now looking keenly back along the path as if to satisfy herself of something.
    "Excuse me," said Jacina. "I must move on."
    Felice turned to her quickly. "What? Oh, yes. You may go now." She leaned in close to Jacina. "But – you will not tell zat you saw me in the wood, hein? The Earl might think it was – curious."
    Jacina regarded her coolly. "It is not my business to tell anyone what you – do," she replied.
     "Then we are friends!" said Felice. She smiled sweetly and stood aside.
    As Jacina continued along the path with her basket, she wondered where Felice had been to look in such disarray.
    Around a bend in the path lay a woodsman's deserted cottage. With a frown Jacina saw that the door was swinging open. She stepped up to the cottage and closed the door. It was no good letting the animals and chickens wander in.
    *
    Over the following days Jacina tried resolutely not to think of Felice or the Earl, but it was so hard when she was continually seeing them together. The evenings were the most difficult when she went in to dine, but at least she was not alone with the engaged couple. There were always other guests, invited so that Felice could become acquainted with the local gentry.
    The guests were always excitable and garrulous. Jacina knew that the Earl only invited them for the sake of Felice and in deference to the wishes of his grandfather, who had planned such gatherings leading up to the wedding. She knew it was torture for the Earl to have his blindness on public display.
    Nobody noticed Jacina.
    Every evening she ate in silence and excused herself at the earliest opportunity.
    Then one evening, just before dessert, Monsieur Fronard tapped his glass and the Earl rose to his feet.
    The guests regarded him expectantly while Jacina lowered her head as if at an impending blow.
    The Earl's strong voice carried all too clearly down the table. This was the announcement she had been dreading for days.
    The date of the wedding was finally set!
    *
    Every day loaded carts drew up at the trade entrance of the castle. There were sacks of flour from the mill on the estate. There were bags of sugar and crates of eggs. There were boxes of late fruit and jars of sweetmeats.
    Cook was in her element. Her arms were always covered to the elbow in flour. She was determined to make it the most glorious wedding breakfast in the history of the castle.
    The haberdasher came with bolts of silk and muslin and satin. The shoemaker came with swatches of leather. The glove-maker came and the milliner.
    The dressmaker came.
    Jacina watched the hustle and bustle from her window. She fervently hoped that the Earl might now find happiness.
    Sometimes she sought refuge with Sarah. When Sarah brought out the caddy to make the tea, Jacina looked sadly at its painted scenes of India.
    The Earl had once again become as distant to her as a dream.
    One afternoon Sarah's arthritis was playing up. She asked Jacina to make the tea. As Jacina reached the caddy down, a thin packet of letters that had been lodged behind it fell to the floor.
    Sarah noticed. "Those are letters Miss Felice wrote to me when Master Crispian was alive," she commented.
    As Jacina picked up the letters, she could not help but notice the dainty handwriting.
    Sarah said no more about Felice. She hardly ever mentioned Felice now and she never chatted about the forthcoming wedding.
    As the day drew near, Jacina wished more and more
    that she could take herself back to her home in the village, but she knew it was not possible. The house was locked up. The housemaid had gone with Doctor Carlton to Edinburgh. Besides, Jacina always obeyed her father's wishes. No matter what, she must remain at the castle.
     She read and re-read letters from her father. He had written to say that though the Earl had invited him, he did not know whether he would be able to attend the wedding.
    The afternoon before the wedding day Jacina was surprised by a