The Glittering Lights (Bantam Series No. 12) Read Free Page B

much you loved her.”
    “I was fortunate in that the situation did not arise,” Sir James said, “so I cannot tell you what I would have done in different circumstances. It was true I was enamoured with many lovely women and perhaps you are right in saying I broke a number of hearts! But the moment I saw your mother I loved her.”
    There was something rather moving in the simplicity with which he spoke.
    “And I am not to have the same chance of finding someone I love,” Cassandra said in a small voice.
    Sir James made a gesture with his hands.
    “My dear, you are a woman and how can a woman judge what is best for herself? Not a rich woman at any rate.”
    “You mean that, as soon as I am old enough, men will want to marry me for my money?” Cassandra said.
    “Men will want to marry you because you are lovely, because you are sweet, intelligent and have a personality of your own,” Sir James corrected. “And, to add to all that, you are also a very wealthy young woman!”
    Cassandra sighed.
    “So I have to allow you to choose my husband?”
    “You have to trust me as you have always done, to know what is best for you.”
    “And what about the Marquis?” Cassandra enquired. “He is a man. He can have his own choice as you did.”
    “No! Charlbury has to marry for money,” Sir James said. “There is no question of that. The Alchester Estate is in the red. Because I am the Duke’s friend, he has confided in me that it will require a small fortune to set things to rights. The only chance Charlbury has of living in the home of his ancestors is to take a rich wife.”
    “He may ... love someone quite ... different.”
    Cassandra felt as though she forced the words between her lips.
    “He is a gentleman,” Sir James replied. “He will, I know, always show his wife courtesy and consideration. I have never heard anyone say anything unpleasant or indeed unkind about Charlbury.”
    Cassandra felt after this conversation that her father would arrange for her to meet the young Marquis. He so often went to stay at Alchester Park with the Duke or they met at one of their Clubs.
    It seemed strange that no invitation for her came to The Towers and there was never any question of the Marquis being asked to stay for one of the innumerable Balls or functions which took place in Yorkshire.
    When she was older she realised that this was deliberate on her father’s part.
    He did not wish the Marquis to see her when, as he put it himself, she was unfledged, half-grown, not quite as beautiful as she promised to be.
    But there was no doubt they would have met when she went to London for her debut, had not Sir James’s plans been frustrated twice so that they had to remain in Yorkshire.
    Then, as if fate had not finished putting obstacles in their way, the Duke died in 1885.
    He had a stroke when he was watching one of his horses beaten at the post Epsom racecourse and only survived for twenty-four hours.
    This was even a bigger set-back than Sir James had endured previously.
    He had just arranged that the young Marquis should come and stay at The Towers for the local races and to take part in the County festivities which always coincided with them.
    He had not pretended to Cassandra that this was not the auspicious moment in her life.
    “You will meet Charlbury, he will propose to you, and you can be married at the end of the summer.”
    “Does he realise what has been planned for him?” Cassandra asked.
    “Of course,” her father replied. “The Duke has already invited us to stay at Alchester for Ascot, and by that time your engagement will be in the Gazette .”
    Cassandra had said very little. She felt as if she was waiting in a theatre for the curtain to rise and was not quite certain which play was being performed.
    When she was alone a thousand questions came into her mind, a thousand fears and doubts and apprehensions seemed to encompass her like a cloud.
    Then with the Duke’s death, everything came to a