Follow Your Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

himself, it will be very different to the way he has lived in the past.”
    â€œI would not bet on it,” said Della scathingly. “And quite frankly, Uncle Edward, I resent you being worried and upset by Jason.”
    Her voice became scornful as she continued,
    â€œHe has behaved abominably as you well know, made his father and mother miserable and reduced a great number of his relatives to tears.”
    She had a feeling her uncle was not listening, but carried on insistently,
    â€œOne of them told me when we were last in London how ashamed she was that Jason was her cousin. In fact she often thought that people looked at her in a criticising manner in case she resembled him in any way.”
    â€œI can understand that, but the Duke is absolutely convinced that Jason has now seen the error of his ways and of course he wants so much to believe his son.”
    â€œHe will be lucky if anyone else does,” remarked Della.
    Her uncle gave her a sharp look as if he resented the way she was speaking and then he said slowly,
    â€œIt is always a mistake not to help those who need our help. The Duke has a suggestion to make which I think we must both consider very seriously.”
    â€œWhat is it?”
    â€œHe has said – that it would give him the greatest pleasure and inexplicable happiness if you married Jason .”
    As Lord Lainden finished speaking there was complete and absolute silence.
    Della stared at him incredulously.
    â€œ Marry – Jason!” she managed to exclaim at last. “You cannot be serious. After all he is old enough to be my father!”
    â€œJason will be thirty–eight in a month’s time and if, as his father believes, he is truly penitent of his past behaviour, the one thing that could help him more than anything else would be a sensible and at the same time intelligent wife.”
    Della did not speak.
    After a moment he continued,
    â€œThe Duke has always loved you and he has just said that nothing would give him greater pleasure than if you became his daughter–in–law.”
    â€œYou cannot really – believe I could – accept such a – suggestion?” Della managed to stammer.
    Her voice sounded strange even to herself.
    â€œI have not seen Jason for many years,” she went on, “but I always disliked him. From what I have heard about him – he is utterly despicable and the last man in the world – I would ever think of marrying.”
    Her voice seemed to ring out jerkily.
    Because she felt so agitated she rose to her feet and walked across the room to the window, where she stood looking out at the garden, but she was not seeing the beauty of the flowers or the blossom on the trees.
    She was seeing Jason’s debauched face.
    She remembered that she had once slipped away from him to hide in her bedroom. It was not that he had made any advances to her, or even taken any notice of her, because she was only a child.
    It was because she was so conscious that he was wicked and she had no wish to come into contact with him.
    Now with her back to the room, she blurted out in a different voice,
    â€œI am sorry, Uncle Edward, but you must make it absolutely clear to the Duke – that whoever Jason marries – it will not be me !”
    There was a long silence until her uncle responded,
    â€œIt is not quite as easy as that.”
    Della turned round.
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI mean, my dear, that the Duke has set his heart on this solution to his problem. He made it very clear to me that he is relying on our friendship for us to assist him or in his own words, ‘to save the Marchwood family’.”
    â€œThat is all very well,” stormed Della, “the Duke may be your friend – but he is not our relation. You can, of course, assist him if it is possible to find a woman who would tolerate Jason – but it will not be me !”
    Again there was silence and she saw the