An Unexpected Love

by Barbara Cartland

  He stared around him in desperation.

  The carriage could have gone in any direction. There was no way he could tell. And any trace would soon be washed away.

  “Ravina!” he groaned. ‘My darling girl, what is happening to you?”

  Then suddenly a glimmer of colour caught his eye.

  He trotted across to the narrow road that turned sharply to the left.

  There, fluttering on a bush was a length of bright blue velvet ribbon!

  He knew exactly who it had belonged to. He had seen Ravina tying her hair back several times with a similar strip of material.

  “Well done, you brave girl,” he sighed, picking up the ribbon and wrapping it round his wrist. “You’ve given me a sign. Hold on, sweetheart, I am coming to rescue you!”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Ravina shivered violently as the attic room grew colder and colder.

  The thin slivers of light that had shone in around the tiny window had long vanished. Night had fallen and with it had come the storm.

  An oil lamp hung from the rafters and she was glad of the faint yellow beams it threw out.

  She could hear heavy rain beating on the roof and knew there were trees close by because she could hear the wind whistling through the branches.

  When Ravina pressed her ear against the shutters, there was the sound of running water – obviously a river or stream close by.

  The oil lamp had been lit an hour earlier by a hard-faced woman who had carried in a small metal tray holding a pitcher of water, a bowl of roughly torn bread and a hunk of stale cheese.

  Ravina had stared at her in amazement.

  “Beatrice!” she whispered. “Beatrice Watson. It is you, isn’t it?”

  The woman was indeed her old nursery maid, but the thirteen years that had passed since she had been dismissed from service at Curbishley Hall had not dealt kindly with her.

  Ravina remembered her as a handsome girl, hard-voiced, it was true, but always clean and neat. Nothing like the slatternly creature standing in front of her now.

  “Aye, it’s me, your Ladyship!” she replied sarcastically. “Beatrice Watson. Surprised you recognised me after all these years.”

  “But Beatrice, what on earth are you doing working for that evil man? I know your brother is involved, but he has always been in trouble with the law. You were an honest woman.”

  “What do you know about being honest?” Beatrice sneered. “Your father turned me out of Curbishley Hall with only a month’s wages to show for all my trouble. I worked my fingers to the bone, lookin’ after you – nasty little spoilt brat that you were. I was honest and look where that got me. Nowhere.

  “You with all your money and fancy clothes. Well, you don’t look too fancy now, do you?

  Her eyes gleamed and she ran her hands through her black untidy hair tangled around her head.

  Beatrice stepped towards Ravina and she was convinced that she had been drinking, she was so wild and out of control.

  “Joe and me is goin’ abroad to work for Mr. Dunster when he leaves England. He’s goin’ to have a great house and land and horses and riches you can only imagine. And I’m to be his housekeeper and Joe will run the estate. We’ll be rich. Mr. Dunster will see to that.”

  Ravina stared at her in despair.

  She could see from the gloating expression on the woman’s face that there was no chance of persuading her that this was all a fairy story, made up by Robert Dunster to persuade these poor uneducated people to join him in his criminal activities.

  Ravina stared at the open attic door, wondering if she could push past her and make a break for freedom, but she could see that it would be useless because the dark shape of a man – she thought it must be Joe Watson, lurked outside in the gloom of the passageway.

  “Please – listen to me, Beatrice. I do not know what Mr. Dunster has promised you to keep me here, but I swear my father will double the amount if you let me go. And he will not prosecute you or your brother, I swear.”

  Ravina stretched out her hand, but Beatrice ignored it.

  She just laughed and then turned and walked out, slamming the door behind her and Ravina heard the key turn in the lock.

  She sank back onto the hard bed, overwhelmed with despair. Her foot hit the tray.

  ‘I will not eat his horrid food,’ she muttered to herself, but stopped and considered.

  She felt so weak and tired.

  Food was essential.

  So she gritted her teeth and choked down the stale offering. At least the water was cool and refreshing.

  And she was proved right as she could feel a little strength beginning to return to her weary limbs.

  ‘I must escape. I must get home and warn Papa to ignore any letter he receives from Robert Dunster.’

  Once again she hunted round the room for a weapon, a tool, anything she could use to help her free herself.

  She looked at the oil lamp, wondering if she could perhaps throw it against the door and burn her way out. But in her heart of hearts she knew it would not work.

  She pulled at the window shutters, but a great rusty nail had been twisted around the catch and she could not move it.

  “Oh, God, please help me. What can I do? No one will ever find me here.”

  She turned away in desperation and her foot caught the metal tray she had left on the floor and sent it flying.

  She jumped at the noise it made crashing against the wall and then she stared at it.

  In seconds she was examining the flat thin metal.

  The ends of the tray were narrow but hard. This was no cheap, imported tin, but a sturdy old farmhouse implement made of iron.

  Ravina carried it across to the window and pushed the end of the tray under the nail head and using every ounce of her strength, she struggled to force the nail to move.

  At first nothing happened and she felt hot tears of frustration gathering in her eyes.

  But the stubbornness that her parents had always seen as one of her greatest faults came to her rescue.

  She refused to give up.

  She would not be beaten!

  She braced her feet hard on the wooden floor and, ignoring the pain in her fingers where the sharp edge of the tray was biting into her skin, she heaved at the nail again and to her joy it began to move.

  Agonisingly slowly, the rusty metal gave way and the nail snapped in half. Immediately the wooden shutters sprang apart and Ravina could see that they had covered a window which was easily opened onto the dark wet night.

  She peered out, blinking as the rain beat against her face, but glorying in the feel of the wet night air.

  ‘I am sure I can squeeze through the window space,’ she schemed, as she lifted the lantern to see what lay outside.

  The flickering light from the lamp reflected against the driving rain, but she could see a tiled roof about six feet below the window.

  It was steeply pitched, covered in slime and moss.

  She was sure it would be very slippery, almost impossible to walk on.

  Beyond the cottage, Ravina could see a black mass, unbroken by any light. She was sure that she was looking at dense dark woods.

  Just then lightning flashed and lit up the whole area. As she had guessed, a river ran past just twenty yards away.

  Ravina stared at the tiny window space. Her riding habit was heavy and thick. Even if she managed to crawl outside, the rain would make it impossible to move quickly.

  She hesitated, but not for long.

  She pulled off her skirt and jacket and stood shivering in her petticoat and bodice.

  ‘If Dulcie could see me now,’ she thought wildly. ‘She would faint and never recover!’

  Just then a noise outside the door made her flinch.

  Someone was coming up the stairs, someone with a heavy masculine tread.

  Robert Dunster!

  Without thinking twice, she thrust herself through the window and began to wriggle free.

  And just as
she was about to jump down onto the tiles below, the attic door opened and Robert Dunster roared his anger at her escape –

  *

  A quarter of a mile away, Sir Richard was trotting through the night, his eyes searching through the dark for any sign of habitation.

  He had been forced to pull his horse back from a canter as the light failed, but the stallion was sure-footed and with Sweetie on a leading rein behind them, they were still making progress.

  ‘Oh, Ravina, where are you?’ he murmured in anguish.

  The rain was pouring down harder and harder and suddenly a crack of lightning pierced the sky and thunder rumbled overhead.

  The sudden summer storm was growing in ferocity and the track was becoming muddier, the horses’ hooves slipping and sliding.

  Sir Richard could hear rushing water to his left. Obviously a river was filling rapidly and roaring over its stony bed.

  ‘God, I only hope my darling girl has some shelter. Surely even Dunster would not expose her to these conditions.’

  Just then, as he rounded a bend, there came another great flash of lightning and, directly in front of him, Sir Richard saw an incredible sight.

  A small house built on the banks of the river was lit up as if it was daytime.

  And there, lying on the sloping roof, a slim figure draped in thin white garments was Lady Ravina herself!

  She was desperately inching away from a thickset man who was halfway through the window, reaching out his great fleshy hands to pull her back.

  Flinging himself off his horse, Sir Richard raced forwards.

  “Ravina! Ravina. Jump. Quickly, my darling. Jump and I will catch you. Trust me.”

  “Sir Richard!”

  His heart leapt at the joy in her voice and she slithered faster down the slippery tiles.

  “Trust me, sweetheart. I would never let you fall.”

  Suddenly there was a flash and a crack rang out.

  Robert Dunster had produced a pistol and was shooting at them!

  With a scream, Ravina flung herself off the roof and the next second Sir Richard was holding her slim wet body close to his.

  He buried his face in the soft damp curls that tangled around her face and thanked God with all his might that she was safe.

  “Sir Richard – Dunster – kidnapped me – Beatrice – Joe – letter – Papa – ”she panted disjointedly.

  He did not stop to ask or reply.

  Swiftly he swung her up into his arms and raced for the cover of the woods as another shot rang out.

  “The man’s gone mad,” he snapped as he tenderly put Ravina down and draped his riding cloak around her body.

  She was shivering violently, but he noticed, proudly, her eyes were sparkling and there was no sign of fear on her face.

  “He wanted me to write a letter to Papa forcing him to sign some special document.”

  Sir Richard nodded.

  “I have been trying to keep you safe for days, my sweet! Your father gave me strict instructions because there were rumours that some such plot was afoot. But you have not been an easy person to guard.”

  He glanced over his shoulder at the wild waving branches. Were they safe here? He doubted it.

  And where was Sir Michael with the reinforcements? Surely they could not be too far behind.

  “He did not touch you – hurt you in any way, because, damn his eyes, I’ll kill him if – ?”

  Ravina reached up a hand and placed it softly over his mouth, smiling as he kissed her palm.

  “Hush! No, he threatened, but apart from rough handling me through the woods and into the cottage, he did no more but try to terrify me.”

  She looked up, trying to see his face in the dark.

  “But, Richard, there are two other people inside the cottage. Beatrice, my old nursery maid, and her brother, Joe Watson. They are villains, but I still would not have them harmed, because I truly do not believe they really knew what Robert Dunster was doing or why.”

  Sir Richard suddenly pulled her close to him once more.

  “Ravina – ” he said hoarsely, “I know this is not the time or place, but you have to know now, before anything else happens to us, that I love and adore you with all my heart. You are the bravest, dearest, most wilful girl I have ever known and if you do not marry me, you will condemn me to live on my own in that beautiful house by the sea.”

  Ravina felt every nerve in her body sing with joy.

  He loved her!

  This dark, difficult, dear man loved her as much as she loved him.

  She had never thought love would come to her like this. But as unexpected as it was, it was glorious.

  “I thought you had already chosen a wife. That day when we explored Mitcham Manor, you said – ”

  “I meant you, you silly goose!”

  “I love you so much too with all my heart,” sighed Ravina.

  And ignoring the rumbling thunder and the rain that beat down on them, he tilted her face up to his and kissed her, tenderly and slowly at first, and then with deepening passion.

  When they parted, he smoothed the rain soaked hair away from her face.

  “Why are you smiling? Am I so amusing?” he asked wryly.

  Ravina tried to hold back a giggle.

  “I was just thinking that whether you want to or not, you will have to marry me now because you have seen me in my bodice and petticoat!”

  Sir Richard began to laugh, then yelled and threw Ravina to one side.

  She crashed down into some bushes, wincing as they cut her skin.

  Dazed and frightened, she realised that Robert Dunster had leapt out of the dark and he and Sir Richard were struggling and fighting, their curses filling the air as the thunder crashed overhead and lightning split the darkness, over and over again.

  Dunster’s powerful arms seemed to be crushing the younger man, but Sir Richard was forcing him backwards through the undergrowth.

  Sobbing, Ravina followed them, the world a whirling chaos of wind and rain and swaying branches.

  Suddenly she realised the noise she could hear above the wind and the rain was the roaring of the river and when a hissing crack of lightning flashed once more, she could clearly see the struggling couple.

  She gasped in horror.

  “The river bank! Be careful. Richard, watch out. The bank is crumbling!”

  But even as she spoke, the soaken mud silently gave way and the two men plunged into the raging torrent.

  Ravina screamed and threw herself forward flat into the mud.

  “Richard! Richard.”

  Oh, God, surely she was not going to lose him now. Not when they had just found each other.

  The surface of the raging water remained unbroken and then a dark head bobbed up and Sir Richard was swimming strongly towards her.

  Spluttering he clambered up the bank and she reached out to help pull him out of the river.

  Kneeling together, muddy and wet, they held each other close as the rain poured down and the river hurried Robert Dunster’s body away to the sea.

  And it was there, on the muddy river bank, locked in each other’s arms that Sir Michael and his men found them.

  *

  On a bright autumn day, two families gathered to witness a very special wedding.

  The week before in the ancient Church at Rosbourne in a quiet, sedate, old–fashioned but happy ceremony, Sir Michael Moore and Miss Dulcie Allen were married.

  Lady Ravina Ashley and Sir Richard Crawford had been honoured guests and Ravina felt that she had never seen her cousin look so gloriously serene.

  Safe in the knowledge that Sir Michael was following his heart and marrying the woman he truly loved, Dulcie had blossomed and the tense frown and down-turned mouth had been replaced by a glow of happiness as she contemplated her new life as Mistress of the Priory.

  But the wedding that the whole County had been waiting for was to take place the following week.

  Lord and Lady Ashley, home at last from their
travels in the Balkans, had been surprised but pleased to discover that their daughter had given her heart and hand to Sir Richard.

  The dastardly plot to destabilize a Government had been foiled and although Lord Ashley shuddered to think of the danger his daughter had been in, he knew that now the world was a safer place at least for a few years.

  He laughed and sighed as he hugged her closely in a rare show of emotion.

  “I thought I told you to stay away from trouble, young lady?” he scolded, his voice tinged with the knowledge of what might have happened.

  Ravina kissed his cheek.

  “Dearest Papa! I wasn’t even aware of the danger until it happened. But luckily there was Richard to keep me safe – just as you had planned.”

  *

  Lady Ashley came to her room one evening and sat stroking her daughter’s hair as they discussed everything that had happened.

  “And you are completely sure of your feelings for Sir Richard?” her mother asked. “You have not in any way confused gratitude with love, my dear child? Because that is not the right basis for marriage.”

  Ravina smiled at her with a joy in her eyes that immediately dispelled her mother’s doubts.

  “No, Mama. I love him completely and utterly, more than I can possibly say. I would willingly follow him to the ends of the earth and back.”

  And Lady Ashley felt all her worries fade away, knowing that her daughter had found the one man who would be her soul mate for ever.

  Beatrice and Joe Watson had vanished. Rumour had it that they had left the cottage under cover of the storm and fled to America.

  Ravina could not help but feel relieved.

  Although upset, poor Mrs. Watson would be better off without her abusive husband and Bobby was a youth who could make something of himself in service to Sir Michael.

  Ravina would not have wanted to be responsible for prosecuting his father and aunt for kidnapping.

  Nanny Johnson had cackled cheerfully to herself when Ravina had come running into her room to tell her the news of her engagement.

  It had made the old nurse’s heart glad to see the joy on her young lady’s face. She had always known that it would take a very special man to win Ravina’s hand and she was convinced that Sir Richard was just that person.