Love and Apollo Read Online Free PDF Page B

Rose, even though I shall miss you terribly.”
    â€œAnd I shall miss you, Mama.  I do wish you could come too.”
    Her mother held up her hands.
    â€œNo, no, I have done enough travelling in my life.  I am quite content to stay put here in this house, even though it will be so lonely without you and your father.”
    Valona felt worried about her mother, but she was delighted the next day when they came back from shopping to find there was a letter for the Princess from the Duke’s mother, the Dowager Duchess.
    She invited her, as soon as Valona had left England with Lady Rose, to come and stay at Combe Hall.
    She was still living in the ancestral home that now belonged to her son, the Duke, and, as he had no wife, she was, as she explained, still the chatelaine of Combe Hall.
    The Duchess had written,
    â€œ I find it so sad that we have seen so little of each other these past years.
    But I feel we shall have so much to talk about if you come for a nice long stay after our daughters have set out for Larissa.
    Please let me know when I can expect you.
    I am sure a lot of the family whom you have not yet met will be delighted to make your acquaintance. ”
    â€œThat is a very lovely letter, Mama, and now I shall feel a lot happier at leaving you.  I am sure if you stay with the Dowager Duchess you will soon be invited by all the other relatives.  In fact when I come home, I doubt if you will have any time for me at all!”
    The Princess laughed.
    â€œI shall always have time for you, my dearest, but it is very kind of the Duchess and I shall look forward to my stay with her.”
    Because her mother’s clothes were becoming very shabby, Valona had insisted on buying a few new dresses for her at the same time as she was obtaining her own.
    â€œThe Duke said he would pay for yours, not mine,” her mother protested.
    â€œI am quite certain he would be delighted for you to have two or three gowns, Mama, and if you are going to be difficult about it, I shall refuse to have the dresses we have ordered today.”
    Princess Louise took much persuading, but finally she gave in.
    She was well aware how rich the Duke was and she knew she would feel uncomfortable looking a dowdy poor relation at the parties the Dowager Duchess would give at Combe Hall.
    *
    The days seemed to flash by.
    Valona finally said her farewells to Sir Mortimer.
    â€œI have read your books from cover to cover,” she told him, “and thank you so much for lending them to me.”
    â€œI have cleaned my revolver and it is now ready for you, Valona, and a good supply of bullets, although again I hope you will not need them.”
    â€œI hope not too, but I am sure I am right in thinking one should always be prepared.”
    She was remembering as she spoke what her father had often said,
    â€œIt was largely owing to lack of preparation, and in some ways sheer carelessness on the part of my people, that the revolution in Piracus was so successful.”
    There had been no resistance and they had been so lucky to have been able to escape.
    All the revolutionaries had despised the Piracusian Army and had not expected the Prince to oppose them in any effective way.
    Valona packed the revolver in one of her trunks and sent up a prayer as she did so that it would not be needed.
    â€˜I am sure that as there has been so much trouble in the Balkans already,’ she mused confidently, ‘that Larissa, as well as requesting protection from Great Britain, will be making some effort to protect itself.’
    The Duke had arranged everything in minute detail and would send one of his carriages to collect Valona and her mother.
    He had explained in his letter they were to meet at Combe House in Park Lane.
    The battleship would be waiting in the Thames near the House of Commons.
    For Valona it was all wildly exciting.
    She was half-afraid when she went to bed the night before that something would happen to