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realise that her uncle was convinced it would be to her advantage, as well as the Duke’s if she married Jason.
    She knew at the back of his mind he would love her to become a Duchess and she would have control of Wood Hall with all its treasures, and naturally the Marchwood jewels were legendary.
    She could read his mind – he was thinking of the Duke’s enormous stables with the magnificent horses she enjoyed riding.
    Surely her uncle was not thinking that all these riches would be some compensation for losing her childish dreams of marrying the man she had fallen in love with?
    â€˜If it is a childish dream,’ mused Della, ‘it is still deep in my heart.’
    She had always believed that one day she would ride in the woods with the man she loved.
    He would love her and understand the stories she told herself. He would believe, as she did, that the goblins worked underground and the nymphs lived in the pool. That under the trees the fairies danced at night and left a mushroom circle on the grass.
    All her fantasies would mean as much to him as they did to her and become an intrinsic part of their love.
    She had known how much her father and mother meant to each other and she believed that one day it was the kind of love she would find. She dreamt of a love that would make any setbacks bearable, however difficult, because they were together.
    They would always be happy and content and whether they were living in a palace or a cave they would both be facing the world together.
    How could Wood Hall with all its treasures compensate for having to be touched by a man she despised? A man who had made himself notorious with the lowest women to be found in both London and Paris?
    â€˜I – cannot do it – I cannot !’ Della told herself.
    She knew her uncle was waiting for her to speak, not impatiently but somehow despairingly.
    Once again she rose from her chair and walked to the window.
    â€œI am afraid, my dear, this will come as a shock to you,” he said, “but of course nothing will be decided too quickly. But the Duke is afraid that Jason might change his mind and if he is bored here, he will return to France.”
    â€œDoes he really believe that Jason is penitent enough,” demanded Della, “to spend the rest of his life – in the country? It has never amused him in the past. Will he be content with one woman rather than the dozens he has been associating with?”
    â€œThe Duke wants to believe that Jason is being honest when he says he has finished with his past life. His unhappy marriage has made him realise he has been a fool and, as I have already said, he wants to settle down and have a family.”
    Della shivered, feeling as if an icy hand had squeezed her heart.
    â€œI, personally,” she told her uncle, “think that Jason will soon be bored with the life that we enjoy here. Then what will happen to his wife, whoever she may be?”
    â€œShe will perhaps have children to compensate for her husband, but I think, my dear, you are looking too far ahead. What we are concerned with at the moment is that Jason is really sorry for the trouble he has caused and the unhappiness he has brought his parents.”
    He paused and with difficulty Della prevented herself from saying anything further.
    â€œHe has agreed,” he continued, “that he has associated with the wrong women and, in fact, after his three years of marriage he has no wish to see any of them again.”
    â€œCan a leopard really change his spots?” queried Della mischievously.
    â€œWe can only hope and pray that if you do marry Jason,” he answered, “you will be clever enough to make him keep his vows and behave as someone in his position should.”
    â€œWhich he has never done in the past!”
    â€œThat is indeed true, but the Duke is absolutely convinced that at present he is very contrite and is longing in every way to make amends for his