The King Without a Heart

Copyright © 2008 by Cartland Promotions

First published on the internet in 
February
 by
Barbaracartland.com

The characters and situations in this book are entirely imaginary and bear no relation to any real person or actual happening.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval, without the prior permission in writing from the publisher.

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M-Y Books

Titania was miserable. 

The following day the King did not come riding with her and she rode alone with Darius and she did not like to ask him why the King was not there at seven o'clock as he usually was. 

She enjoyed being mounted on a very spirited horse she had not yet ridden, but it was not the same as when she was with the King.

In the afternoon when Sophie had gone out, Darius took her to the library and it was unoccupied. 

Titania selected several books to read, thinking they would be exciting, but somehow her mind kept going back to the King. 

She kept wondering how she had offended him. 

It was just the same the next day and that night she was forced to admit to herself that she missed the King unbearably.

It was with the greatest difficulty she did not burst into tears.

‘I want to be with him, I want to talk to him,' she kept thinking. ‘There is so much I can remember, which I am sure will help him with his book.'

But it was no use telling the darkness.

The King seemed to have disappeared!

1.     The Cross of Love

2.     Love in the Highlands

3.     Love Finds the Way

4.     The Castle of Love

5.     Love is Triumphant

6.     Stars in the Sky

7.     The Ship of Love

8.     A Dangerous Disguise

9.     Love Became Theirs

10.   Love Drives In

11.   Sailing to Love

12.   The Star of Love

13.   Music is the Soul of Love

14.   Love in the East

15.   Theirs to Eternity

16.   A Paradise on Earth

17.   Love Wins in Berlin

18.   In Search of Love

19.   Love Rescues Rosanna

20.   A Heart in Heaven

21.   The House of Happiness

22.   Royalty Defeated by Love

23.   The White Witch

24.   They Sought Love

25.   Love is the Reason for Living

26.   They Found Their Way to Heaven

27.   Learning to Love

28.   Journey to Happiness

29.   A Kiss in the Desert

30.   The Heart of Love

31.   The Richness of Love

32.   For Ever and Ever

33.   An Unexpected Love

34.   Saved by an Angel

35.   Touching the Stars

36.   Seeking Love

37.   Journey to Love

38.   The Importance of Love

39.   Love by the Lake

40.   A Dream Come True

41.   The King without a heart

Barbaracartland.com is proud to announce the publication of ten new Audio Books for the first time as CDs. They are favourite Barbara Cartland stories read by well-known actors and actresses and each story extends to 4 or 5  CDs. The Audio Books are as follows : 

• The Patient Bridegroom 

• The Passion and the Flower 

• A Challenge of Hearts 

• Little White Doves of Love 

• A Train to Love 

• The Prince and the Pekinese 

• The Unbroken Dream 

• A King in Love 

• The Cruel Count 

• A Sign of Love 

More Audio Books will be published in the future and the above titles can be purchased by logging on to the website
www.barbaracartland.com
or please write to the address below.

If you do not have access to a computer, you can write for information about the Barbara Cartland Pink Collection and the Barbara Cartland Audio Books to the following address : 

Barbara Cartland.com Ltd. 

Camfield Place, 

Hatfield, 

Hertfordshire AL9 6JE 

United Kingdom. 

Telephone: +44 (0)1707 642629 

Fax: +44 (0)1707 663041 

Barbara Cartland who sadly died in May 2000 at the age of nearly 99 was the world's most famous romantic novelist who wrote 723 books in her lifetime with worldwide sales of over 1 billion copies and her books were translated into 36 different languages.

As well as romantic novels, she wrote historical biographies, 6 autobiographies, theatrical plays, books of advice on life, love, vitamins and cookery. She also found time to be a political speaker and television and radio personality.

She wrote her first book at the age of 21 and this was called
Jigsaw
. It became an immediate bestseller and sold 100,000 copies in hardback and was translated into 6 different languages. She wrote continuously throughout her life, writing bestsellers for an astonishing 76 years. Her books have always been immensely popular in the United States, where in 1976 her current books were at numbers 1 & 2 in the B. Dalton bestsellers list, a feat never achieved before or since by any author.

Barbara Cartland became a legend in her own lifetime and will be best remembered for her wonderful romantic novels, so loved by her millions of readers throughout the world.

Her books will always be treasured for their moral message, her pure and innocent heroines, her good looking and dashing heroes and above all her belief that the power of love is more important than anything else in everyone's life.

 

“Everyone, but everyone can enjoy the rapture and joys of love, from the King himself to the lowest in the land.”

Barbara Cartland

The Duke of Starbrooke finished the family prayers and the servants filed out of the dining room.

When they had gone the family moved to the table where breakfast was waiting for them and the butler and two footmen began to serve them.

As they did so the door opened and a young girl came nervously into the room.

She was small, slight and very pretty, but the expression on her face at the moment was one of anxiety.

She walked up to the Duke and bent to kiss his cheek. 

“Why were you not at prayers, Titania?” he asked sharply.

“I am sorry, Uncle Edward, but I was delayed when I came back from riding.”

“Delayed?” questioned the Duchess of Starbrooke from the end of the table. “That is only a word to cover up your carelessness in not noting the time.”

“I am sorry, Aunt Louise,” murmured Titania. “

So you should be,” replied the Duchess. “If I have any more nonsense I shall tell your uncle to forbid you to ride each morning. It is a waste of time anyway.”

Titania gave a gasp.

Yet as she sat down at the breakfast table, she knew it was her own fault.

It had been a lovely morning and as she had ridden through the woods that she loved, she had forgotten everything and for the moment she was feeling happy.

She reached a pool in the woods which was her favourite place, because she believed that the water nymphs lived there.

It was then that she realised that time was marching on and if she was late for prayers she would be in trouble. 

She had ridden Mercury back as quickly as she could. 

Even so, when she had changed her clothes and run downstairs the dining room door was closed.

She could hear her uncle's stentorian voice reading a prayer and those who had been listening to him intoned a respectful
amen
.

Then as the servants began to move out, she hurried in knowing that she was in trouble. 

However, to her relief there was no long lecture, which she would normally have received on such occasions.

The Duke, in a surprisingly good humour, was looking down at his letters, which had been placed as usual beside his plate, after having been carefully sorted by his secretary.

Bills and requests for money were dealt with in the office and only the private letters were taken to the Duke. There was one which he had opened first and he was reading it with a faint smile on his hard lips.

From the end of the table the Duchess was watching him quizzically, but she was far too controlled to ask him the contents of the letter before he was ready to tell her.

Sitting opposite Titania on the Duke's right was her cousin Lady Sophie Brooke, who had just enjoyed a Season in London and undoubtedly had been one of the most important
debutantes
of the year.

The Duke had given a ball for her and was planning another a little later in the summer to take place here at Starbrooke Hall.

All the notable neighbours in the County would be invited and Titania was wondering if there was any chance of her being allowed to attend this ball.

She had not been taken to London when the first ball was held, the excuse being that she was still in mourning for her father and mother. This was not strictly true as the twelve months, which was considered the correct period for mourning, had been over for three weeks.

Titania had been sensible enough to face the truth that her uncle did not want her at the London ball! 

It was not only because he was ashamed of her mother, but because she was so much prettier than her cousin.

Titania was not in the least conceited, but she recognised that she closely resembled her mother and while the Starbrooke family had been excessively rude to her father, Lord Rupert Brooke, everyone else had spoken about his wife's beauty.

They understood exactly why Lord Rupert had fallen in love with her.