Hiding from Love by Barbara Cartland Page A

feel better at all.  Her stomach churned, her limbs ached and her heart felt heavy as lead, so she lay back and Finny drew the cover over her.
    â€œDon’t go yet,” Leonora pleaded.  “Talk to me.”
    â€œI can’t stay long, miss.  I’ve got to turn down the beds in the other cabins.”
    â€œWill you be preparing Mr. Chandos’s bed next?”
    Finny nodded.
    â€œHis sheets are all silk, miss.  And he has a velvet counterpane.   And embroidery on his slippers.”
    Leonora pricked up her ears.
    â€œEmbroidery?  What does it look like?”
    â€œIt looks like those things on carriage doors – ”
    Leonora drew in her breath.
    An insignia!  So Mr. Chandos was connected to the aristocracy.  In which case he must know of Lord Merton’s family, if not personally acquainted with him.
    How could she have been so silly as to divulge the details of her story to all and sundry?
    â€œDo you like Mr. Chandos?” she asked Finny.
    Finny looked strangely furtive.
    â€œI likes his boots and he gave me sixpence when I brought him tea.”
    â€œBut – would you consider him a man of honour?”
    Finny turned the question over in his head.
    â€œHe’s important,” he said at last.  “Otherwise how could he have done what he did for me?”
    Leonora gave a start.
    â€œWhat has he done for you, Finny?”
    Finny’s eyes grew large with sudden alarm.
    â€œWhy, I didn’t mean – he made me swear – it just slipped out – I didn’t mean to say it at all.”
    Witnessing his confusion, she understood at once.
    â€œIt was – Mr. Chandos you met at the docks, wasn’t it?  It was he who found you this work on board!”
    Finny, eyes darting to all corners, rose to his feet.
    â€œI have to go, Miss Leonora – my duties.”
    â€œFinny!” called out Leonora sharply.  “Sit down.”
    â€œI mustn’t – I mustn’t – ”
    Without a backward glance, Finny flew to the door, opened it and was gone.
    Leonora placed her hand over her eyes.
    So it was indeed Mr. Chandos who had taken pity on Finny when the trap had almost lost a wheel.
    Mr. Chandos, who had heard Finny’s tale and found a solution to his unwillingness to return to Schilling House.
    It was Mr. Chandos, who was responsible for the fact that she had the company of Finny on this voyage!
    In which case, she realised, Mr. Chandos probably knew her story right from the start, for Finny would have told him the reasons why she was leaving England.
    One thing she was sure about was that he would not have mentioned that she had taken Mr. Schilling’s money.
    She knew Finny well enough to know he would not disclose information that might make his Mistress appear in an unfavourable light.
    Why Mr. Chandos wished his act of charity to be kept a secret, she could not imagine, unless he wished the extent of his influence on board the ship to go unnoticed.
    Perhaps, she thought with a sudden thrill, he has his own sad story to relate.
    Perhaps he too is fleeing an unhappy experience of love.  He had after all talked about her reminding him of ‘someone very dear’.
    Her next thought plunged her into dismay.
    If Mr. Chandos had fled an unhappy love affair, he had soon recovered.  How else could he have then devoted so much attention on Desirée Griddle?
    He has a shallow heart indeed she brooded bitterly.
    Yet he was so handsome, so enigmatic with such dark and intelligent eyes, such a strong physique.
    She began to toss and turn on her bed.
    She wished she could banish Mr. Chandos from her mind, just so that she could sleep.
    Next the floor suddenly arose, as if a creature was attempting to force its way in from below.
    Leonora gripped the edge of her bed, as she seemed to feel her stomach turn upside down within her.
    â€œOhhh!” she groaned.
    She found herself wishing, despite