“Can I still – excite you, my darling?”
The colour rose in her cheeks, her eyes were suddenly very shy and she hid her face against his neck.
“Last night was so – wonderful!” she whispered. “I felt as if you – carried me up to the stars – the same stars we shall see again when we reach Suez.”
“We will stand and gaze at them as we did that night,” the Duke replied, “and you can tell me once again that you feel it a privilege to be alive.”
“And a privilege to be your wife,” Bettina added with a passionate note in her voice, “and very very privileged because you – love me a – little.”
“Do you really think it is only a little?”
“I love you with all of me and perhaps one day you will love me with all of you.”
“I am not going to say that I love you as much as it is possible for me to love anyone,” the Duke replied, “for the simple reason that every day I find that there are new depths to my love that I did not even know existed.”
He raised his head to look down at her.
At the flush on her cheeks, at the first dawning of desire in her eyes, at the breath coming quickly between her parted lips and the rise and fall of her breasts beneath the thin silk nightgown.
“What is there about you that makes you so different from anyone else?” he asked.
He swept her hair back from her forehead as he said,
“You are very beautiful, your features are perfect, but it is so much more than that. Perhaps my precious, it is the purity of your soul shining in your eyes and it speaks to my soul. And I had really forgotten I had one until I met you.”
Bettina’s eyes widened.
He had never spoken so seriously to her before and then she put her arm round his neck to draw his lips close to hers again.
“We belong to each other and I am sure now that we are one person, but my beloved husband, you are the most important part – and I am so very privileged to be a little – bit of you.”
“The bit that really matters,” the Duke replied, “because I realise that it is you who has found the secret of happiness for both of us.”
“Which is – love?”
“Of course,” he answered, “the love I thought I would never find and which was not surprisingly completely lacking in the places where I looked for it.”
She knew that he was thinking of the gaiety and at the same time the emptiness of those who congregated at Marlborough House and at his own house in London.
Then he said almost as if he was speaking to himself,
“We still have our responsibilities, my beautiful wife, towards the place that we have been born to and the state of life that it has pleased God to call us to.”
She knew what he was trying to say and she responded in a low voice,
“You must help me not to make – mistakes. I realise how – ignorant I am, but if you are there with me I shall try to do – everything you want me to do.”
“You are very young,” the Duke sighed, “but there is so much wisdom in that small head of yours.”
He kissed her forehead and added,
“We will not anticipate today what lies ahead in the future but only be happy because this is our honeymoon and because we are together on Christmas Day.”
“That is what I want – and there is – something I want to – say to you.”
“What is it, my darling?” the Duke asked.
She put her head back against his shoulder and then she said in a very low little voice,
“Last night I was thinking just before I fell asleep how – wonderful you were and how wildly – inexpressibly happy you have made me.”
The Duke’s arms tightened round her and he kissed her hair as she went on,
“I thought too of all the things you have given me, my magnificent engagement ring, the fur coat to come on this voyage, the gowns that we are to pick up at Nice and now Mama’s little diamond star. Oh, Varien, there are so many, many!”
“And so many more I want to give you. I love you so much, my darling, that I would like to take the stars from the sky and hang them around your neck.”
“That is what you have done,” Bettina whispered, “but you have put them in my – heart.”
“As they are in mine.”
“I have not finished what I was telling you.”
“I am listening.”
“I was thinking that I had nothing to give you in return.”
The Duke would have spoken, but she put her fingers on his lips and he kissed them and he did not speak.
“I longed to give you a sign of my love, something that could not – be bought with money because I have none, but would tell you how much I love you and how – grateful I am for – you.”
There was a little pause and then Bettina, moving even closer to the Duke and holding onto him very tightly, said,
“Then it was almost as if a voice told me – what my sign of love must be.”
“Tell me,” the Duke asked tenderly.
“I will try to give you – lots and lots of sons, all just like – you.”
“And I want lots of daughters like you, my precious.”
There was a note in his voice that told Bettina that he was deeply moved by what she had said and there was a flicker of fire in his eyes.
“If we have children,” she went on, “they will fill The Castle and it would not seem so – imposing for – me.”
“You need never be frightened while I am with you,” the Duke asserted.
“And if you are – not?”
He knew how much lay behind this simple question and he bent his head until his mouth was against hers.
‘Wherever I am, you will be. You belong to me, Bettina, and I can never live without you. My body is yours and yours is mine, but so are our minds and our thoughts and our dreams. My life is indivisibly merged with yours, now and for Eternity we are one.”
As if it was the reassurance she had wanted, it swept away the last lingering doubts in her mind.
As her lips, very soft and yielding, waited for his, she knew that the last barrier that the Duke had erected within himself had fallen.
He was hers completely and absolutely, as she was his.
Then he was kissing her demandingly, possessively, passionately and, as she surrendered herself to the ecstasy and rapture of love, he carried her towards the stars.
OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
The Barbara Cartland Eternal Collection is the unique opportunity to collect as ebooks all five hundred of the timeless beautiful romantic novels written by the world’s most celebrated and enduring romantic author.
Named the Eternal Collection because Barbara’s inspiring stories of pure love, just the same as love itself, the books will be published on the internet at the rate of four titles per month until all five hundred are available.
The Eternal Collection, classic pure romance available worldwide for all time .
Elizabethan Lover
The Little Pretender
A Ghost in Monte Carlo
A Duel of Hearts
The Saint and the Sinner
The Penniless Peer
The Proud Princess
The Dare-Devil Duke
Diona and a Dalmatian
A Shaft of Sunlight
Lies for Love
Love and Lucia
Love and the Loathsome Leopard
Beauty or Brains
The Temptation of Torilla
The Goddess and the Gaiety Girl
Fragrant Flower
Look Listen and Love
The Duke and the Preacher’s Daughter
A Kiss for the King
The Mysterious Maid-servant
Lucky Logan Finds Love
The Wings of Ecstacy
Mission to Monte Carlo
Revenge of the Heart
The Unbreakable Spell
Never Laugh at Love
Bride to a Brigand
&n
bsp; Lucifer and the Angel
Journey to a Star
Solita and the Spies
The Chieftain Without a Heart
No Escape from Love
Dollars for the duke
Pure and Untouched
Secrets
Fire in the Blood
Love, Lies and Marriage
The Ghost who Fell in Love
Hungry for Love
The Wild Cry of Love
The Blue-eyed Witch
The Punishment of a Vixen
The Secret of the Glen
Bride to the King
For All Eternity
King in Love
A Marriage made in Heaven
Who can deny Love?
Riding to the Moon
Wish for Love
Dancing on a Rainbow
Gypsy Magic
Love in the Clouds
Count the Stars
White Lilac
Too Precious to Lose
The Devil Defeated
An Angel Runs Away
The Duchess Disappeared
The Pretty Horse-breakers
The Prisoner of Love
Ola and the Sea Wolf
The Castle made for Love
A Heart is Stolen
The Love Pirate
As Eagles Fly
The Magic of Love
Love Leaves at Midnight
A Witch’s Spell
Love Comes West
The Impetuous Duchess
A Tangled Web
Love lifts the Curse
Saved By A Saint
Love is Dangerous
The Poor Governess
The Peril and the Prince
A Very Unusual Wife
Say Yes Samantha
Punished with love
A Royal Rebuke
The Husband Hunters
Signpost To Love
Love Forbidden
Gift Of the Gods
The Outrageous Lady
The Slaves Of Love
The Disgraceful Duke
The Unwanted Wedding
Lord Ravenscar’s Revenge
From Hate to Love
A Very Naughty Angel
The Innocent Imposter
A Rebel Princess
A Wish Comes True
Haunted
Passions In The Sand
Little White Doves of Love
A Portrait of Love
The Enchanted Waltz
Alone and Afraid
The Call of the Highlands
The Glittering Lights
An Angel in Hell
Only a Dream
A Nightingale Sang
Pride and the Poor Princess
Stars in my Heart
The Fire of Love
A Dream from the Night
Sweet Enchantress
The Kiss of the Devil
Fascination in France
Love Runs In
Lost Enchantment
Love is Innocent
The Love Trap
No Darkness for Love
Kiss from a Stranger
The Flame Is Love
A Touch of Love
The Dangerous Dandy
In Love In Lucca
The Karma Of Love
Magic For The Heart
Paradise Found
Only Love
A Duel with Destiny
The Heart of the Clan
The Ruthless Rake
Revenge is Sweet
Fire on the Snow
A Revolution of Love
Love at the Helm
Listen to Love
Love Casts out Fear
The Devilish Deception
Riding in the Sky
The Wonderful Dream
This Time it’s Love
The River of Love
A Gentleman in Love
The Island of Love
Miracle for a Madonna
The Storms of Love
The Prince and the Pekingese
The Golden Cage
Theresa and a Tiger
The Goddess of Love
Alone in Paris
The Earl Rings a Belle
The Runaway Heart
From Hell to Heaven
Love in the Ruins
Crowned with Love
Love is a Maze
Hidden by Love
Love is the Key
A Miracle in Music
The Race for Love
Call of the Heart
The Curse of the Clan
Saved by Love
The Tears of Love
Winged Magic
Born of Love
Love Holds the Cards
A Chieftain Finds Love
The Horizons of Love
The Marquis Wins
A Duke in Danger
Warned by a Ghost
Forced to Marry
Sweet Adventure
Love is a Gamble
Love on the Wind
Looking for Love
Love is the Enemy
The Passion and the Flower
The Reluctant Bride
Safe in Paradise
The Temple of Love
Love at First Sight
The Scots Never Forget
The Golden Gondola
No Time for Love
Love in the Moon
A Hazard of Hearts
Just Fate
The Kiss of Paris
Little Tongues of Fire
Love Under Fire
The Magnificent Marriage
Moon over Eden
The Dream and the Glory
A Victory for Love
A Princess in Distress
A Gamble with Hearts
Love Strikes a Devil
In the Arms of Love
Love in the Dark
Love Wins
The Marquis who Hated Women
Love is Invincible
Love Climbs in
The Queen Saves the King
The Duke Comes Home
Love Joins the Clans
The Power and the Prince
Winged Victory
Light of the Gods
The Golden Illusion
Never Lose Love
The Sleeping Princess
THE LATE DAME BARBARA CARTLAND
Barbara Cartland, who sadly died in May 2000 at the grand age of ninety eight, remains one of the world’s most famous romantic novelists. With worldwide sales of over one billion, her outstanding 723 books have been translated into thirty six different languages, to be enjoyed by readers of romance globally.
Writing her first book ‘Jigsaw’ at the age of 21, Barbara became an immediate bestseller. Building upon this initial success, she wrote continuously throughout her life, producing bestsellers for an astonishing 76 years. In addition to Barbara Cartland’s legion of fans in the UK and across Europe, her books have always been immensely popular in the USA. In 1976 she achieved the unprecedented feat of having books at numbers 1 & 2 in the prestigious B. Dalton Bookseller bestsellers list.
Although she is often referred to as the ‘Queen of Romance’, Barbara Cartland also wrote several historical biographies, six autobiographies and numerous theatrical plays as well as books on life, love, health and cookery. Becoming one of Britain’s most popular media personalities and dressed in her trademark pink, Barbara spoke on radio and television about social and political issues, as well as making many public appearances.
In 1991 she became a Dame of the Order of the British Empire for her contribution to literature and her work for humanitarian and charitable causes.
Known for her glamour, style, and vitality Barbara Cartland became a legend in her own lifetime. Best remembered for her wonderful romantic novels and loved by millions of readers worldwide, her books remain treasured for their heroic heroes, plucky heroines and traditional values. But above all, it was Barbara Cartland’s overriding belief in the positi
ve power of love to help, heal and improve the quality of life for everyone that made her truly unique.
The Sign of Love
Barbara Cartland
Barbara Cartland Ebooks Ltd
This edition © 2019
Copyright Cartland Promotions 1978
eBook conversion by M-Y Books
The Sign of Love Page 16