A Heart of Stone
Page 1
A Heart of Stone
BARBARA CARTLAND
www.barbaracartland.com
Copyright © 2014 by Cartland Promotions
First published on the internet in March 2014 by Barbaracartland.com
ISBNs
978-1-78213-476-3 - Print
978-1-78213-500-5 - Epub
978-1-78213-501-2 - Kindle
The characters and situations in this book are entirely imaginary and bear no relation to any real person or actual happening.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval, without the prior permission in writing from the publisher.
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A Heart of Stone
Vanora clapped her hands together.
“That is brilliant of you, my Lord, and now I don’t feel so afraid.”
“That is something I have no wish for you to feel and thank you again for being so wonderful.”
He bent forward and to her astonishment kissed her cheek.
It was only a light kiss, but, as his lips touched her skin, she felt a little quiver go through her.
The Earl walked away without looking back and she stood watching him until he was out of sight.
Only as she went into her bedroom did she put her hand to her cheek.
How amazing it was.
He had kissed her!
She had come to The Castle to carry out Ewen’s orders and never had she dreamt for a single moment that she would be in any way intimate with the Earl.
Or that he would treat her as he would treat a woman in the same Social world as himself.
She was just an employee.
THE BARBARA CARTLAND PINK COLLECTION
Barbara Cartland was the most prolific bestselling author in the history of the world. She was frequently in the Guinness Book of Records for writing more books in a year than any other living author. In fact her most amazing literary feat was when her publishers asked for more Barbara Cartland romances, she doubled her output from 10 books a year to over 20 books a year, when she was 77.
She went on writing continuously at this rate for 20 years and wrote her last book at the age of 97, thus completing 400 books between the ages of 77 and 97.
Her publishers finally could not keep up with this phenomenal output, so at her death she left 160 unpublished manuscripts, something again that no other author has ever achieved.
Now the exciting news is that these 160 original unpublished Barbara Cartland books are ready for publication and they will be published by Barbaracartland.com exclusively on the internet, as the web is the best possible way to reach so many Barbara Cartland readers around the world.
The 160 books will be published monthly and will be numbered in sequence.
The series is called the Pink Collection as a tribute to Barbara Cartland whose favourite colour was pink and it became very much her trademark over the years.
The Barbara Cartland Pink Collection is published only on the internet. Log on to www.barbaracartland.com to find out how you can purchase the books monthly as they are published, and take out a subscription that will ensure that all subsequent editions are delivered to you by mail order to your home.
If you do not have access to a computer you can write for information about the Pink Collection to the following address :
BarbaraCartland.com
Camfield Place
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
AL9 6JE
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1707 642629
Fax: +44 1707 663041
Titles in this series
These titles are currently available for download. For more information please see the Where to buy page at the end of this book.
The Cross Of Love
Love In The Highlands
Love Finds The Way
The Castle Of Love
Love Is Triumphant
Stars In The Sky
The Ship Of Love
A Dangerous Disguise
Love Became Theirs
Love Drives In
Sailing To Love
The Star Of Love
Music Is The Soul Of Love
Love In The East
Theirs To Eternity
A Paradise On Earth
Love Wins In Berlin
In Search Of Love
Love Rescues Rosanna
A Heart In Heaven
The House Of Happiness
Royalty Defeated By Love
The White Witch
They Sought Love
Love Is The Reason For Living
They Found Their Way To Heaven
Learning To Love
Journey To Happiness
A Kiss In The Desert
The Heart Of Love
The Richness Of Love
For Ever And Ever
An Unexpected Love
Saved By An Angel
Touching The Stars
Seeking Love
Journey To Love
The Importance Of Love
Love By The Lake
A Dream Come True
The King Without A Heart
The Waters Of Love
Danger To The Duke
A Perfect Way To Heaven
Follow Your Heart
In Hiding
Rivals For Love
A Kiss From The Heart
Lovers In London
This Way To Heaven
A Princess Prays
Mine For Ever
The Earl’s Revenge
Love At The Tower
Ruled By Love
Love Came From Heaven
Love And Apollo
The Keys Of Love
A Castle Of Dreams
A Battle Of Brains
A Change Of Hearts
It Is Love
The Triumph Of Love
Wanted – A Royal Wife
A Kiss Of Love
To Heaven With Love
Pray For Love
The Marquis Is Trapped
Hide And Seek For Love
Hiding from Love
A Teacher Of Love
Money Or Love
The Revelation Is Love
The Tree Of Love
The Magnificent Marquis
The Castle
The Gates of Paradise
A Lucky Star
A Heaven on Earth
The Healing Hand
A Virgin Bride
The Trail to Love
A Royal Love Match
A Steeplechase for Love
Love at Last
Search for a Wife
Secret Love
A Miracle of Love
Love and the Clans
A Shooting Star
The Winning Post is Love
They Touched Heaven
The Mountain of Love
The Queen Wins
Love and the Gods
Joined by Love
The Duke is Deceived
A Prayer For Love
Love Conquers War
A Rose in Jeopardy
A Call of Love
A Flight to Heaven
She Wanted Love
A Heart Finds Love
A Sacrifice for Love
Love's Dream in Peril
Soft, sweet & Gentle
An Archangel Called Ivan
A Prisoner in Paris
Danger in the desert
A Road to Romance
A Golden Lie
A heart of stone
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 positive power of love to help, heal and improve the quality of life for everyone that made her truly unique.
“There is only one cure for a heart of stone and that is love and even more love.”
Barbara Cartland
CHAPTER ONE
1824
Vanora McKyle was standing very still on the deck of the small ship that was sailing towards the North.
She was thinking, as she had often mused before, that nothing in the world could be more beautiful than the moors of Scotland when they were purple with heather and the lights were different from those of any other place she had ever seen.
She had so far had a very interesting voyage from England.
She had not been intending to come home yet to Scotland, as she had been happy living with her uncle in London and helping him with the book that he was writing.
Very unexpectedly her brother, the Chieftain of the McKyle Clan, had insisted that she should return home.
Vanora’s mother had died when she was not quite seventeen.
Her parents had been talking about how she should finish her education and the far North of Scotland was not the place to find Tutors or schools that would teach her what she wanted to learn.
Vanora’s mother had been a relation of the Duke of Buccleugh, one of the richest Dukes who owned more land in Scotland than any of the others.
Her brother, for many years, had been the Secretary of State for Scotland and he had, on his retirement, been made Lord Blairmond.
When he heard his sister had died, Lord Blairmond invited Vanora to come to London and suggested that she should stay with him and attend a Finishing School, which was what her mother had always wanted for her.
Her father agreed and Vanora had gone to London and she was excited at moving into a world she had never seen before but had heard so much about.
Her uncle had greatly enjoyed her company. He had never married and so he was somewhat lonely.
He also, as time passed, found Vanora so intelligent that she could help him with a book he was writing about his years as Secretary of State for Scotland.
He owned a large library and Vanora found herself absorbed not only in the books he wanted her to research but also in those she chose for herself.
She was, in fact, very happy with her uncle and it never occurred to her to want to return to Scotland.
Then unexpectedly so that it was like a sharp blow, her father died suddenly of a heart attack.
This meant that her brother Ewen became Chieftain of the McKyle Clan.
*
Six months after he had taken up this responsibility, he sent for Vanora.
“I really cannot understand it, Uncle Angus,” she said, “why Ewen wants me to return. After all he must be very busy with the Clan. He always had different ideas from Papa’s and will now be putting them into action.”
“I shall indeed miss you, my dear,” Lord Blairmond replied, “but I think that you ought to go. If ever you want to return, you know that I shall be waiting for you eagerly.”
Vanora was almost in tears when she left.
She had spent nearly three years in London and had made a great many friends. And it was an effort to turn her back on them and return to Scotland.
By a lucky chance a close friend of Lord Blairmond was going to Edinburgh in his yacht and he offered to take Vanora with him, which made the first part of the journey very pleasant, but she only wished that she had time to see Edinburgh.
She had read a great deal about the famous City when King George IV had visited Scotland for the first time two years earlier when he had received an enthusiastic reception which surprised everyone.
‘If I cannot go and see Edinburgh now,’ Vanora told herself, ‘perhaps I will be able to do so later. I cannot imagine that I shall find a great deal to do except sit by the River Aulay and watch Ewen fishing.’
Lord Blairmond’s friend had found her a passage on a ship from Edinburgh to John O’Groats. It had none of the comforts that Vanora had enjoyed on the yacht, but she was a good sailor and enjoyed being at sea.
She was able to gaze out at the glorious coastline of Scotland all the time they sailed North.
The Aulay was the river on her brother’s estate and it ended in a fishing village by the sea called Aulaypool.
Vanora learned from the Captain that he invariably called in there and so there would be no difficulty in her disembarking when they arrived.
On arrival she found her brother’s servants waiting for her at the harbour with a carriage drawn by two horses.
She had, just before the ship arrived at Aulaypool, been entranced as they passed the bay where standing out majestically was Killdona Castle.
Ever since she had been small she had heard about Killdona Castle and had longed to see it.
But this had been impossible.
An age-old feud had existed for a great many years between the McKyles and the Earl of Glenfile who owned The Castle.
For centuries the McKyles and the MacFiles had intermittently fought each other.
Neither of them had been able to claim an outright victory until fifteen years ago when the old Earl of Glenfile finally routed the McKyles having claimed that they were stealing his sheep.
Whether that was the truth or not, the battle was fierce and bloody and a great number of men on both sides were wounded and it seemed almost a miracle that not a single man was actually killed.
It was then that the Earl had declared himself the victor and told the McKyles that, if they could not behave in future, he would sweep them off the face of the earth!
Vanora had been only a small child at the time and could recall little of what had happened.
She had, in fact, been protected by hiding in one of the caves in the Strath with her mother and a Nanny and there they had been safe until the battle was over.
Her father was furious at being defeated, but there had been nothing he could do.
The Earl of Glenfile had not only a much larger Clan under his command but he was a larger landowner and very much richer.
Vanora had always heard it said that ‘a Scot never forgets’ and that was certainly true where the McKyles were concerne
d.
She could not remember as she grew older ever dining with her father without his raising his glass to drink a toast to the damnation and utter destruction of the Earl of Glenfile and those who followed him.
She mused as the ship sailed past Killdona Castle that nothing could look more romantic or more attractive.
It had been restored and renovated several times since it was first built and in the last century tall towers had been added that gave it a very picturesque appearance.
Some way above sea level was a nicely laid-out garden that led directly down to the bay.
‘I do wish I could visit The Castle and see inside it,’ Vanora reflected.
But she knew that, in the circumstances of the feud, it was something that would never happen, so it was no use wishing for the moon.
Instead, as they drove away from the little harbour, she told herself that she was happy to be home.
It would be exciting to be back in their own castle, which was actually older than Killdona.
Her mother had told her legends and Fairy stories about it ever since she was old enough to understand and it would have been impossible for any Scot not to be proud of such an illustrious history.
At one time the McKyle Clan had owned far more land and were of great standing with whatever Scottish King was reigning at the time.
Yet gradually they had preferred to stay on their own land and leave the political world to look after itself and, by the time Vanora’s father became the Chieftain, he was content with making sure the lambing went smoothly and, if they were not exactly rich, that no one was in want.
As the horses carried her up the Strath, she could see that the River Aulay was fairly high and this meant that the fishing would be good and so plenty of salmon to eat.
When she first saw the McKyle Castle tower, she felt a little thrill of excitement go through her.
She was home!
Even though she would miss her mother and father, Ewen was there and she would be among her kith and kin.
He was waiting for her at the front door and she felt he looked a little older than when she had last seen him.
“You have come!” he exclaimed, “I was frightened, after all I had written, that you would refuse me.”
“You were so insistent that, of course, I could not say ‘no’ and here I am.”