A Lucky Star

by Barbara Cartland

  “Darling,” he called out, as Linette threw her arms round his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

  “I am so sorry that I was not here when you arrived. I am afraid I was detained.”

  “You are here now, Papa, and I want you to meet my new friend. This is Miss Anthea Preston. Anthea, this is my Papa.”

  Anthea walked towards him and was immediately struck by how young he was.

  ‘He can be no more than ten or twelve years older than I am,’ she thought. ‘He must have had Linette when he was very young. And Linette does not take after him in looks in the least – she must resemble her mother.’

  “I am delighted to meet you,” said the Earl, taking Anthea’s hand and shaking it warmly.

  “Anthea is my new chaperone and I found her all by myself. Isn’t that clever of me to find a replacement for Mrs. Catherall?”

  “You never cease to amaze me,” answered the Earl, smiling indulgently at her. “I hope you will enjoy the trip, Miss Preston, The Sea Sprite is one of the swiftest ships on the ocean and you will be in Naples by today next week.”

  “But you are coming too, aren’t you, Papa?”

  “Oh, I am afraid I will not be sailing with you, my dearest,” he sighed. “There have been some problems with a ship we are building in Southampton for a Greek Prince. I will have to go there to resolve the matter first and will be following in another ship. I will meet you in Naples.”

  “Oh, Papa!”

  “I am so sorry, Linette, but it cannot be avoided. You will not miss me with Miss Preston here to keep you company.”

  Anthea found it hard not to stare at the Earl – there was something of Prince Albert about his elegant features and his bearing was almost as regal.

  He was so tall with broad shoulders and a muscular physique. He had the air of a man who was fond of the outdoor life and all its pursuits, rather than living the soft life of an idle aristocrat.

  Anthea thought it strange that their paths had not crossed before in London. Her mother and father had been the toast of Southampton at one time and knew most of the important shipbuilding families.

  Without being summoned, Jackson brought in some more tea and they sat and drank, chatting merrily.

  Anthea had not realised how famished she was and, without wishing to appear greedy, ate with relish all she could from the delicious buffet, all the time regarding the Earl closely as he talked about his business in Naples.

  ‘I cannot believe that this is Linette’s father!’ she said to herself, unable to stop staring at him. ‘If I had met him at a ball or party, I would have taken him for a single gentleman, not someone with a grown-up daughter!’

  The Earl then returned her gaze and smiled at her.

  Immediately she felt a flush rising in her face and chest.

  Quickly she looked down and examined her nails.

  ‘I have never seen such unusual eyes,’ she mused to herself. ‘They are like pieces of polished amber.’

  She glanced at Linette’s animated face and tried to detect some likeness to her father there, but she could not find one solitary feature in common.

  As she did so, the Earl rose and turned to her.

  “I must thank you so much for coming to the rescue of my daughter,” he said with a dazzling smile. “Although she is perfectly safe on board The Sea Sprite, I shall feel much easier knowing that she has a companion – and such a charming one at that.”

  Anthea blushed once more and scolded herself for being unable to offer an equally flattering response.

  ‘I am behaving like a tongue-tied child.’

  “Tell me,” continued the Earl. “Do you and your family live in London?”

  “Y-yes, my Lord,” she stammered, falling over her words. “My Mama died a few years ago – but Papa still resides in Mount Street.”

  “Ah, I know it well, you must be neighbours of the Comte de Chantilly? He has a house at the end of the street, I believe.”

  “Yes, my Lord, I have often seen him and his wife in their carriage. Although I don’t count them as friends, they are certainly acquaintances.”

  “And do the Helfond's still reside at number 16?”

  “No, they moved in April – Sir Albert was sent to India on government business. I was sad to see them go, as I was very fond of their daughter, Elspeth. She is now married and living in Bristol.”

  The Earl’s face darkened.

  “India?” he murmured. “I hope that he remains safe and sound – it can be a treacherous place to live with the Russians constantly knocking on the door.”

  Something about his expression warned Anthea not to pursue the topic of conversation. It was as if a shadow had passed over his face.

  “Now, I must take my leave, dearest,” he turned to Linette. “I must travel to Southampton and try to placate Prince Aristos and ensure that his ship is delivered on time. Miss Preston, it was a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to renewing our acquaintance in Italy.”

  He brushed past Anthea and picked up his hat from the table near her elbow.

  Even though it was just for a fleeting second, it was as if she had been touched by fire.

  “Thank you for looking after Linette,” he said in a low voice, as his amber gaze bore into Anthea’s eyes. “I shall make certain that whatever you desire is yours.”

  A shiver ran through Anthea’s body. He had somehow loaded his words with meaning – a meaning she could only dare to guess at.

  She felt that he was making it plain that he found her attractive, but she was too uncertain of herself to really believe her instincts.

  “You never stay long enough, Papa,” complained Linette, kissing him and breaking the spell.

  “We shall have plenty of time together in Naples. I hope you have a pleasant voyage and I know that Captain MacFarlane will do his utmost for you.”

  He threw Anthea one last lingering look and left.

  “Is he not handsome?” remarked Linette, as soon as he was out of earshot. “Lots of ladies have lost their hearts to him, but he has never re-married. What is more, he does not appear the least bit interested in finding a new wife.

  “I should really like a stepmother as I am very often lonely when Papa is away working. And I am certain that not all stepmothers are as horrible as you say yours is!”

  Anthea laughed.

  “I was, I am afraid, unlucky, but tell me, when did your mother pass away, Linette?”

  “Ages ago. She died when I was an infant. I don’t even have her photograph. Papa does not talk about her.”

  “You must take after your mother in appearance as your Papa is so different to you.”

  “That is what everyone says, but Papa did say once that I resembled my Mama. She was Scottish, you know. Grandfather has an estate up in Scotland and I believe that was where Papa met Mama. I wish I knew more about her – it is terrible not to know where you come from and not to be in contact with half of your family.”

  “You don’t ever hear from your Scottish relatives?”

  “Not a word. Grandma Hayworth, Papa’s mother, once let slip something about ‘those awful McGregors’ and that led me to believe there had been a quarrel many years ago and all contact with Mama’s family has been cut off as a result.”

  “How terrible for you,” breathed Anthea.

  “Yes, it is a real bore. Grandma Hayworth is such a grump. She always looks at me in a disapproving fashion.”

  Anthea was just pondering the intriguing story and the mystery of the Earl’s marriage when Jackson came in.

  “My Lady, Miss Preston – your cabins are ready for you. Would you care to follow me?”

  “I hope we are not below deck,” muttered Linette, as she skipped towards the door.

  “We would not dare,” answered Jackson. “You are on this level and your cabins are next door to each other.”

  He led them along the deck to the port side of the ship, where the guest cabins were located.

  “You are to be
in his Lordship’s cabin, my Lady, and Miss Preston is in the one you usually occupy.”

  “The one with the connecting doors?”

  Jackson nodded.

  “How wonderful! Anthea, it’s such fun being able to enter each other’s cabins without going out on deck.”

  Jackson showed Anthea to her cabin.

  Her trunk was already unpacked and everything had been put into a mahogany wardrobe against the wall. At the far end of the cabin was a double-sized bed made up with fresh white linen and topped with a red satin quilt that was exactly the same shade as the luxurious Axminster carpet.

  The walls were papered with lovely wall coverings in a fleur-de-lys pattern and hung with well-chosen works of art depicting marine scenes.

  “Thank you,” she gasped, “this cabin is delightful.”

  “Look here!” cried out Linette, bursting through the connecting doors. “Isn’t this just divine? Have you found the bathroom yet? It’s all so very modern.”

  She went to a door along the wall and opened it.

  “See? You will have to ask Jackson to fill the bath for you, but this is a great luxury on board. Papa does not believe in stinting on anything and that is why his ships are in demand all over the world. Most of the Crowned heads of Europe boast a Hayworth ship.”

  “Your Papa must be very clever to be able to sell ships to other countries that have shipbuilding industries of their own.”

  “Oh, yes. In fact, I know that there is at least one company in Naples hopping mad that Papa seems set to snatch a very important commission from under their noses. But we all know that British ships are the best in the world!”

  “Naturally,” agreed Anthea.

  Just then the roar of engines under their feet and a shuddering motion alerted them that the ship was moving.

  “We are on our way!” exclaimed Linette excitedly. “Shall we go on deck and watch the English coast vanish behind us? I do always so love to wave it goodbye. Then we can come back to change as it will not be long before luncheon is served.”

  She grasped Anthea by the hand and dragged her outside onto the deck.

  A blast from the ship’s horn made them both jump and smoke from the funnels belched out, almost obscuring the sun.

  “Goodbye England!” waved Linette cheerily.

  She was so absorbed that she did not notice Anthea standing behind her, quietly shedding tears.

  ‘Goodbye to you England,’ she wept silently, ‘and who knows what will lie in wait for me across the sea, but whatever it is, I must welcome it for there is now no going back.’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The first day at sea was a very enjoyable experience for both Anthea and Linette.

  First Captain MacFarlane showed Anthea round the ship. She found it thrilling to stand on the bridge and view all the various instruments.

  “It is one of the most modern ships afloat,” boasted the Captain proudly. “And one of the swiftest.”

  “It is the first time that I have been on a steamship,” added Anthea. “I have only ever sailed on yachts before.”

  “You will find a great difference between the two as we are not dependent upon the wind,” answered Captain MacFarlane. “And we can reach a far greater speed.”

  He took her and Linette below decks and showed them the engine room. The noise and heat were incredible and Anthea felt quite faint.

  By the time they had ended their tour, Jackson came to find them to announce that luncheon was ready.

  They made their way to the Saloon to find a buffet of lobster, tunny fish and cold meats spread out along with a variety of rice dishes.

  “Such fabulous food,” exclaimed Anthea. “I can see that we are going to be very spoilt on this voyage.”

  “Papa is so accustomed to the best of everything,” replied Linette, loading her plate with lobster. “He is very fussy about what he eats.”

  “Will he have time in Naples to show us around?” asked Anthea hopefully.

  She was keen to spend more time with the dashing Earl.

  “Oh, I expect he will take us to dinner, but he will not come sightseeing with us – his business commitments will ensure that.”

  ‘What a pity,’ thought Anthea, although she did not voice her disappointment.

  After an afternoon nap the two girls had great fun chatting and becoming better acquainted.

  They spent some time in the Saloon where Anthea played the piano for Linette.

  “You are really very clever,” sighed Linette, as the last bars of a piece by Brahms faded. “I am all fingers and thumbs. When I tried to learn to play, I made so many mistakes that in the end my music teacher gave up on me.”

  “I am not that good really, I just play passably well. Mama was the one who was a brilliant pianist. Papa used to say that she could have played with any orchestra.”

  The Captain entering the Saloon interrupted their conversation.

  “Excuse me, my Lady,” he said, addressing Linette. “Dinner will be in one hour. I also thought I should alert you both that we shall be rounding the Bay of Biscay later this evening.”

  “Oh, is that bad?” enquired Anthea, worried by his stern countenance.

  “It will more than likely be pretty rough. The Bay of Biscay is notorious for cross currents and, as a result, we can expect a heavy swell.”

  “He means we might be seasick,” giggled Linette.

  “That is correct, my Lady, but we do have a ship’s doctor should either of you feel unwell.”

  “That is most reassuring,” added Anthea, getting up and wandering over to the porthole.

  She looked out and the sea outside looked as clear and calm as glass.

  With the sun shining so brightly and just a gentle breeze, it was hard to imagine the ship rolling around.

  ‘And this ship is heavy and sturdy compared with a yacht,’ she reflected. ‘I cannot believe that we should feel the ship pitching even if we do hit rough seas.’

  However a few hours later after dinner, Anthea was to discover that her theory did not hold good.

  Around midnight the ship began to roll alarmingly and she suddenly felt quite unwell.

  Taking herself off to bed, she awoke in the middle of the night and was very sick indeed.

  All through the next day and the day after, both she and Linette were confined to their cabins.

  “Oh, I do feel so ill,” groaned Linette, as the ship’s doctor came to call on them.

  Anthea did not want to even open her mouth in case she was sick again. The doctor attempted to give her some medicine to calm her stomach, but she could not face it.

  *

  Eventually two days later they moved further down the coast of France and the seas became calmer once more.

  That afternoon Anthea felt well enough to get out of bed and sit in an armchair.

  Jackson brought her some weak tea and dry toast.

  “Thank you, Jackson. Is Lady Linette up yet?”

  “She is still asleep. I will look in on her presently.”

  “Where do we dock next?”

  “Marseilles, miss. We always dock there for a few days in order to take on more supplies and fuel.”

  As Anthea chewed on her toast, she thought, as she had done constantly over the past few days, of the Earl.

  It had been a long time since a man had aroused her interest – and certainly she had felt no romantic attachment to anyone since Jolyon Burnside.

  ‘But could I trust him with my heart?’ she thought. ‘I know so little about him or his involvements. Although Linette professes not to have seen any sweethearts, he may be the sort of man who keeps his private life to himself.

  ‘For all I know, he may have a string of amours all over Europe. He must have the opportunity, as he travels so often – and he is such a handsome man, as Linette says, and it is no surprise that women yearn to ensnare him.’

  She was still ruminating on the Earl when Linette came stumbling in through the connecting doors. />
  “So, you are up as well?” she yawned, rubbing her stomach. “Goodness, I didn’t think it possible to feel so ill. Usually I have good sea legs and am never seasick.”

  “It has been very rough for the past few days.”

  “Unusually so,” Linette replied, sitting gingerly on a chair. “My stomach feels better than it did, but oh, how it aches!”

  “Jackson said that we are docking in Marseilles for a day or so. I will welcome having dry land underneath my feet again.”

  “Quite so. Have you visited Marseilles before?”

  “No, Linette. I did not venture South when I was in France.”

  “It is a most interesting place. Papa never allows me out on my own there, but I don’t think I would care to walk the streets without a gentleman with me.”

  “Is it dangerous?”

  “It is a little, mostly around the Port. Papa says that with all the taverns and drinking dens it is not a safe place for young women to frequent. If we do go ashore, I should imagine that the Captain would give us an escort. Oh, I do hope we get Midshipman Norton – he is most amusing.”

  *

  The next few days passed quickly.

  The sun shone and the sea was not too rough, so the two girls made the most of sunbathing and relaxing.

  And finally they arrived in Marseilles on a baking hot September day.

  “Goodness! It’s so hot!” groaned Anthea. “I had not expected it to be so warm.”

  “Oh, yes,” replied Linette. “It is often over eighty degrees in September. So you will definitely not need your cashmere coat in Marseilles.”

  “Excuse me, my Lady, but the Captain asked me to come and make myself known to you. I am Midshipman Jones and I will be escorting you ashore.”

  Linette looked up from her deckchair and regarded the tall young man closely. He was attractive in a rather girlish way with jet-black hair and pale-blue eyes, and features that were small and regular.

  “Where is Midshipman Norton?”

  “He is with the Captain on the bridge.”

  Linette pouted as she always did when something displeased her. Anthea, a little embarrassed on behalf of the Midshipman, smiled at him.

  “I don’t know Marseilles, what do you recommend we see?”