Love Came From Heaven

By Barbara Cartland

Some girls can wait a lifetime for one man to fall in love with them, but Selena Norton is so pretty that every man she meets is promptly smitten – including those who are attached to others. Angered at gentlemen showering her with flowery compliments and unwanted kisses, Selena longs for someone to see past her beautiful face and appreciate the intelligent, loyal, fun girl inside. Rescued by the chivalrous, but penniless, Earl of Wakefield from the lecherous clutches of yet another unwanted suitor, Lord Tavener, Selena is delighted to finally meet a man who seems to seek only friendship. And it seems that her life is finally about to change for the better when the Earl introduces her to Miss Jerrold, a famous garden designer, who is renovating the gardens at the Earl's country home. Thrilled with the opportunity to indulge her passion for horticulture and finally take control of her own destiny, Selena jumps at the chance to live on the estate and become her assistant. Safe, happy and secretly in love for the first time, Selena cannot believe the joy that the Earl has bought into her life. But fate has a nasty surprise in store for her in the shape of the odious Lord Taverner. Smarting with rejection, he does his best to ruin her newly found happiness, determined to have his way. As danger threatens, putting everything and everyone she cares about at risk, will honesty, resourcefulness and tenacity win out? Or will her nemesis, Lord Tavener finally wreak his revenge?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barbara Cartland Ebooks ltd
• Release date: Aug 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781908303981

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

1895

The last thing that Selena Norton desired aboard the crowded Calais to Dover ferry was to draw attention to herself.

Selena’s travelling costume was plain grey without adornment, her bonnet lacked any decoration and her boots were serviceable without being fashionable.

Her few possessions were contained in a large battered Gladstone bag that nestled beside her feet as she sat on deck amongst a varied crowd of fellow passengers.

Nothing, however, could diminish the attractiveness of her heart-shaped face with her huge blue eyes and soft pink mouth.

She had scraped her shining blonde hair back into a severe knot held fast at the nape of her neck, but captivating tendrils had escaped, blown by the wind over her glowing cheeks.

I think you’ve dropped this, came a voice.

Selena looked up, startled.

A tall young man with heavy black eyebrows and a strikingly handsome face held out the purse that must have slipped from her lap onto the deck.

Oh, goodness! Yes, it is mine, thank you so much, sir.

Selena flushed as she gabbled her thanks. How could she have allowed her precious reticule to slip from her grasp? If she lost it, she did not know what she would do.

I must have dozed for a moment. I had to get up so early this morning, you see, and the motion of the boat is very pleasant. I was a little afraid so early in the season it would be rough.

She stopped abruptly.

How many times had her Nanny told her not to let her tongue run away with herself?

The stranger smiled.

His eyes were as dark as his brows and they looked at her in a way that had Selena blushing even deeper. She shrank back in her seat and felt cold despite the early March sun.

May I suggest that you could be more comfortable in the Saloon? Allow me to escort you. We could share a cup of coffee – or perhaps a glass of wine.

Selena felt very alone and vulnerable.

Thank you, sir, it is so kind of you, but I am very comfortable here, she answered him in a small voice, not raising her eyes to meet his.

Why did men always want to spend time with her?

She knew exactly what would happen if she did go with this powerful-looking man with his well-cut travelling clothes and arrogant air.

He would expect her to listen to his boring stories, he would tell her she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met, and then he would try to kiss her.

Men always behaved in exactly the same way and Selena hated it.

For this trip she had even tried to make herself look so plain that no man would give her a second glance.

Come on, you can’t be so cruel as to deny me your company for the short time it’ll take us to reach Dover.

Selena did not know what to say.

The man loomed over her in a way that suggested he might reach out, pull her off the seat and force her to go with him.

I –

Her voice failed.

Taverner, you on this boat too? Good heavens, we must have a drink together!

Another man had come up and he was as tall as the stranger who had picked up Selena’s purse, but leaner, less obviously attractive and dressed in a careless fashion.

Well, well, Wakefield! Been gallivanting on the Continent, have you?

The newcomer sounded put out to be hailed in this way.

Maybe we can both entertain this charming young lady I have just met.

Selena was given a dismissive glance.

I doubt if she’s interested in politics and I want to discuss this wretched Government’s lack of enterprise. Did you hear my last speech in the Lords just before the House went into recess?

A strong arm was flung around Taverner’s broad shoulders and he had little option but to allow himself to be marched off towards the bar.

Selena was unaware that she had been holding her breath, but she let it out now in a long sigh.

She looked down at her purse, now safely back in her lap.

She must be more careful.

Reckon you got rescued there, my girl, piped up a large woman sitting close by. Wasn’t she just, Harold? she said loudly to the small man on her other side.

Yes, my dear, he agreed without looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

What do you mean? asked Selina.

Why, I noticed that Wakefield chap standing over there, the woman waved her hand towards the stern of the boat.

He saw at once what was happening and how uncomfortable you were with what the other man was saying to you and I reckon he decided you needed rescuing.

Selena had a comforting vision of a Guardian Angel with her best interests at heart and then dismissed the idea as nonsense.

But she wished she had taken more note of the man who had performed such a thoughtful act.

Mind you, though, if he hadn’t come on over, the woman continued, I’d’ve got Harold to send that Taverner fellow about his business!

Selena could not help smiling as it was so patently obvious that her husband would not have been able to do anything to prevent her being forced to go anywhere with him.

You are most kind, she answered in a soft voice. I sat down beside you particularly because I hoped people would think I belonged to you.

The woman patted her arm.

Right thinking, my dear, only it’s quite obvious to anyone with eyes in their head that you and us belongs to different worlds. You’re gentry, just like them two Lords – we’re only trade. You should be travelling with a maid, if not a chaperone.

The woman looked at Selena severely.

My maid is ill, replied Selena quickly. I had to leave her behind.

She hoped she would be forgiven for telling such a lie and went on hurriedly,

I would rather spend time with you than with that man. Do tell me what sort of trade you are in.

The rest of the journey to Dover passed pleasantly for Selena as she listened to Mrs. Toms telling her all about the haberdashery business she and her husband owned and their family that worked with them.

Selena wished that the Belgian family she had been sent to stay with to polish her grasp of the French language had been as warm and friendly as Mr. and Mrs. Toms.

Instead, they had been formal, almost cold, except when Monsieur le Comte had tried to kiss her.

Then she had found herself in an extremely difficult situation. The Count would not be discouraged and finally she decided that the only way out was to leave the family and return to England.

The chateau in Belgium where she was staying was only just over the border, not far from Calais.

Letting herself out very early in the morning, she had been fortunate enough to catch a lift to the station on a farmer’s cart. She had then travelled to the ferry port by train without difficulty.

At Dover she would catch another train to London and then – at this point Selena stopped her thoughts.

She did not know what she was going to do when she reached London.

Oh, my, Mrs. Toms was twittering. Here we are coming into Dover and I haven’t found anything out about you, my dear. Well, if you ever need any haberdashery in Ashford, I hope you will find your way to our establishment.

Selena assured her that she would.

*

As the passengers started to surge to the gangway, she lost contact with the Toms, but there was not a sign of Lord Taverner, which was a great relief.

There was the inevitable business with passports to be gone through.

Selena’s was at the bottom of her purse and she had to remove everything from it before it could be retrieved and handed over. The delay made those passengers behind her complain and she became flustered.

I’m so sorry, she kept on saying, her possessions flying about as she grabbed them, returning them all to her purse as she made her way to the station.

There was a queue for the ticket office, but Selena did not mind. She felt grateful to be standing quietly and trying to calm herself.

This was difficult when she could not help thinking about what would happen when she turned up at home.

There would be such scenes!

Selena hated scenes. She wanted to enjoy life, not be shouted at all the time.

Yes, miss? called the man in the ticket office.

Second Class single to London, please.

Then she looked for her little money-bag to pay the fare.

She could not find it.

Frantically, she started taking everything out of her reticule once again, panic filling her as she looked in vain – passport, several handkerchiefs, her notebook, her ferry ticket, all fell to the ground.

Can I help? asked a quiet voice as a hand picked up her passport and gave it back to her.

I’ve lost my money, gasped Selena. She was near tears. I don’t know what to do.

The man in the queue behind her was the same one who had come to her rescue on the ferry.

Now Selena was sure he was a guardian angel.

His silvery-grey eyes as he looked at her were most reassuring, not in the least unsettling like Lord Taverner’s hot dark ones.

What a shame. Never mind, we can sort it out.

He spoke in a very matter of fact way.

People were now beginning to grumble at the delay and Selena felt renewed panic.

It was as if her world was disintegrating around her.

She picked up the rest of her belongings and stuffed them back into her purse.

She heard the man ask for two First Class tickets to London and a moment later he gave one to Selena.

Shall we go and find the train? he suggested.

By now she was incapable of independent thought.

She allowed the man to pick up her Gladstone bag and, clutching the precious ticket, followed him to where a porter stood in charge of a battered-looking case.

As they walked towards the train, Selena suddenly feared that her life might be repeating itself.

Was this man, whom she currently believed to be her Guardian Angel, just like every other man she had ever come across? Had he bought her a ticket just to claim a kiss from her? Would he feel that she owed him that much?

Then she realised that she was in fact holding her ticket and relief washed over her.

The fact that he had given it to her meant she was, to a certain extent, still in control of her journey. If she did not like his behaviour, she could always change carriages.

Surely if this Wakefield man had sinister intents he would have kept her ticket with his, she reasoned to herself.

A few moments later both Selena and her rescuer were handed into a comfortable carriage. The liveried porter swung both cases up onto the rack and pocketed the tip he was given, touching his cap appreciatively as he left.

Selena looked nervously up at the tall gentleman standing in the doorway of the carriage. With the light behind him casting harsh shadows across his face it was hard to make out his expression.

Could she trust him?

He seemed genuine, but was he really yet another man determined to turn her into his plaything?  If he was, then he was certainly disguising his real intentions rather better than most of the others.

Please, he began courteously, do sit down.

He waved towards one of the corner seats.

I realise we have not been introduced. Since there is no one here to perform this formality, will you allow me tell you that I am Alexander Wakefield?

How different he was from Lord Taverner!

There was no innuendo in his voice, no suggestion that he wanted to do anything more than act towards her in a straightforward manner.

Then I think you must be Lord Wakefield, Selena found herself saying with an unfamiliar