Authors: Barbara Cartland
On the landing she saw two shadowy figures, and was relieved to recognise Blake, the Earl's valet and the butler, both in their dressing gowns, summoned by the strange noises they had heard below.
"Is something wrong, my Lord?" Blake asked anxiously.
"Yes, his Lordship needs a doctor," Dorina said. "He has been set upon by footpads and viciously clubbed half to death."
"No, that was just in your wishful dreams," the Earl murmured in her ear.
"Be silent," she told him firmly, handing him over to the valet, while the butler went about summoning the doctor.
At the last moment the Earl tightened his hand on her arm.
"You won't go?" he asked, and, although his tone was light, the anxiety in his eyes was real.
"Not until the doctor tells me you are well."
She hurried away to her own room, and began to tear off her evening dress, which she knew she would never wear again.
In its place she donned a severe, striped blouse, with a white collar. It had a faintly mannish air, and she wore it when she wanted to be businesslike. When she had buttoned it up to the throat she set to work on her hair, drawing it back firmly against her skull in the grimmest style she could imagine.
She emerged just after the doctor had arrived. Blake informed her in hushed accents that Dr. Jones had just gone into his Lordship's room.
"I put him to bed, miss. He was looking very pale, and groaning a lot."
Inside his bedroom the Earl was still groaning until the doctor said,
"You can stop that. It was just a little bump on the head."
"It's going to do its work very nicely, though," the Earl growled. "I shall need at least a couple of days' perfect rest and careful nursing."
"If you say so," the doctor said, grinning. "Do you want me to notify Lady Musgrove or any other of the – ?"
"No," the Earl said explosively. "All that's over. Things are different now."
"I see," the doctor said, slightly startled by the Earl's forceful tone.
He eyed his patient, his head on one side and mused,
"You used not to have to go to these lengths to secure a woman's interest."
"I don't know what you're talking about," the Earl riposted.
"Don't worry, I'll say all the right things."
Seeing wrath in his patient's eye, the doctor hastened into the corridor where he was met by a young woman of quelling aspect.
"I am his Lordship's secretary," she declared. "How is his Lordship? Is his head seriously hurt?"
"He'll benefit from a few days' quiet rest in bed and careful nursing," the doctor recited obediently. "He can see any visitors that he pleases. I'm sure I can entrust him into your capable hands."
As he departed, the doctor wondered who was the lady whom the Earl was trying to attract. Doubtless she was the kind of voluptuous, melting creature that he had often chosen in his colourful romantic career. But if she was intending to visit his sick-room, the doctor doubted that she would make much headway against that terrifying secretary.
*
The Earl remained officially an invalid for only one day, rising when he realised that Dorina was determined not to set foot in his room.
On the second morning he confronted her in the office, where she was opening correspondence.
"Thank you for not leaving," he said.
"I promised to remain until your Lordship was recovered," she said primly.
"I'm touched by your concern for my health, although it did not lead you to visit me."
"There was no need," she said, without looking up. "Your valet was able to do all that was necessary."
With dismay he saw that she was dressed to repel, in her plain blouse, her hair sleeked back severely. The sight told him that he had not been forgiven, and must tread carefully.
"Let us look at the correspondence," he said, taking his cue from her.
"There are some letters here that need your immediate attention – "
She pushed them over to him and they settled down to work. He dictated replies until he could endure the atmosphere no longer, then he rose, saying,
"I'm afraid I've piled rather a lot on to you. Will you be able to finish it all today?"
If she had said, 'easily,' he would have given her more. He dreaded that she might slip away.
But she said,
"I may not get through all of it – "
"Well, you can finish it off tomorrow. I'm going out now. When I return you can tell me about any problems that may have arisen."
"I will do so, my Lord."
She did not look up, and after a moment he departed.
When she heard the front door close behind him, Dorina let her shoulders sag. She had been full of tension the whole time he had been there, knowing that she ought to leave this house, yet mysteriously unable to tear herself away.
Could any man be worth what she had endured the other night?
'My work is worth it,' she told herself. 'I must stay to learn more.'
But then she remembered the tone of his voice as he had begged her forgiveness, and the feel of his lips on hers, and she knew that the real reason had nothing to do with work.
In the early evening the Earl arrived home in a state of high excitement. He came straight to Dorina's office, his eyes shining.
"Whatever has happened?" she asked, almost laughing as she saw his face.
"I've been to one of my factories in another part of London and I have wonderful news."
"Tell me," she said eagerly.
"Recently you were asking me about the horseless carriage and I put you off. Well, now I can tell you that I have made a big step forward."
Dorina gasped. To him this was a wonderful development, but she was torn two ways. She wanted his success, but she also wanted her own.
"We're going to be the first," he said, seizing her hands eagerly. "Imagine that! It's a revolution, and we will be at the forefront, leading the world."
"But – the other night you were talking as though it was a long time in the future."
"I know. I was confused. I didn't dare let myself hope and talking about it seemed like bad luck. But now – now, I think I can hope, and the first person I wanted to tell was you. Do you understand why?"
"Yes," she said slowly. "I think I do."
She was pulled this way and that between joy and despair. He wanted to draw close to her, as close as she wanted to be with him. At the same time he threatened her greatest hopes. And he also made her realise how terrible it was that she could not be honest with him.
Where did her loyalties lie? With her father's firm, of that she was sure. It had to be so.
Yet this man could make her feel that nothing mattered but to be with him.
He seemed to become aware that he was still holding her hands, and dropped them, suddenly self-conscious.
"I want you to come with me now, and see my invention for yourself," he said, "because you are the only person who can fully understand. You have to see it, because if I describe it you won't believe it.
"And I want to tell you everything, from the very beginning, how this has been planned and how my ideas have grown until now they are on the verge of success. Will you come with me?"
"Of course I will," she cried joyfully.
"Then quickly put on your hat and coat, and off we go."
Everything was happening in such a whirl that she had no time to think. It wasn't until they were in the carriage and moving away fast that she knew a qualm of conscience.
"Are you sure about confiding so much in me?" she asked. "If it's new and revolutionary, it might make your fortune."
"I hope it will."
"But don't you see, there must be other people trying to create the same thing. If a great new invention is 'in the air', then several people will think of it at once, because its time has come."
He looked at her curiously.
"How strange that you should say that," he mused. "It's true, of course, but not many people know it. You must know more about this business than I ever dreamed."
"I – I was quoting someone," she stammered.
She had been quoting her father, but she could not say that.
"Are you going to tell me who?"
"No," she said firmly. "I merely want to warn you about telling me too much about your miracle. How do you know that I'm not a spy from another camp? You've said yourself that I'm strangely well informed."
The Earl laughed. "Why are you trying to make me think ill of you? Whoever you are, wherever you come from, I know that I can trust you."
"Forgive me, my Lord, but you know no such thing."
"But I do. Now, I don't want to hear any more. We shall soon be reaching the factory. It's situated in rather a rough district, but don't be worried. No harm will come to you."
Looking out of the window she could see that he was right. The streets were becoming dingy and poor, although now that the lights were coming on they somehow seemed cheerful. But however rough they were, she was not worried. They reminded her of the places in Birmingham where her father's factories were. And she much preferred this honest shabbiness to the glittering decadence of the Alhambra.
At last they arrived at what looked like a very large shed with wide doors. Light was streaming from inside and several men stood ready to greet them.
The Earl assisted Dorina to descend, and introduced her briefly as his secretary. As she was still dressed to look forbidding, nobody thought this strange.
They entered the great shed, which was lit by electricity and full of machinery. All around her Dorina saw working men in leather aprons. It was like meeting up with old friends, for she had known men just like this when she visited her father.
And there was another thing she recognised, the look of joy and pride on their faces that told a tale of work that had come to fruition, of success too long delayed but finally achieved in the face of all odds. It was a look of sheer blazing triumph.
The same look was on the Earl's face.
"Now, are you ready for what I'm going to show you?" he asked.
"I'm quite ready."
"No, you're not. Nobody in the world is ready for this. A carriage that runs by itself without any horses. They said it couldn't be done, but we proved them wrong. Mike – "
On the word a large man with grey hair stepped aside, indicating a very large object that made Dorina's eyes open wide.
It had four wheels and four seats, but there the similarity to a conventional carriage ended. Instead of the seats being arranged in two rows of two, facing each other, both rows faced the front.
The construction was about eight feet long by five feet wide, and stood six feet above the ground.
"All the energy is generated here," the Earl said, laying his hand on a large metal box in the front, from which protruded a long spoke, with a wheel on the end.
"It's powered by a thick, heavy liquid that we call petrol. It works because it can be set alight. Inside this box the petrol is drawn into the cylinder by the piston, and then compressed. Then a spark sets the petrol alight, which forces it up. When the engine is at full blast it can go as fast as four horses all galloping together."
A murmur went round the men who had gathered around them. Four horse power. Fancy that!
He raised the side of the metal box and Dorina peered inside with real interest.
"But with no horses or reins, how do you make it go where you want?" she asked.
"That's what the wheel is for. I'll show you."
He climbed up into one of the front seats and leaned down, giving her his hand to draw her up beside him. The seat was higher than she had expected, and looking down she had a dizzying feeling of delight and excitement. From up here anything seemed possible.
"Let's start up," the Earl called.
"How do you generate the spark?" she asked.
"Like this," he said, pointing to where a man had positioned himself at the front.
The man thrust a bent spoke into the front and began to turn it. At the third turn the metal box started to hum.
"It's alive," she gasped.
"That's it. It's alive, just as horses are alive. It's a different kind of life, but it's still life."
"But it isn't moving."
"Watch down there."
Following his gaze, she saw how he pressed a pedal near the floor. And then slowly, incredibly, the horseless carriage began to move.
A mighty cheer broke out from all the men. Dorina too felt like cheering.
Carefully the Earl turned the wheel to the left, and the carriage moved in the same direction. Then he turned the wheel to the right and again the carriage responded.
Round the great shed he went with Dorina clinging to his arm in transports of delight.
"Oh it's wonderful!" she cried. "Can I try?"
"You mean – you want to drive it?"
"Yes, please."
He drew to a halt and jumped down to the ground, indicating for her to move over behind the wheel. When he had climbed in the other side he showed her the foot pedal. The engine was still humming.
"Grasp the wheel and press the pedal gently," he said.