A Dream Come True by Barbara Cartland

his Lordship does indeed wish you to open everything. You will find that he is unusually observant and only opens the correspondence he knows he will wish to read. The others, ahem, you may wish to discard.”
    â€œSurely not? At least I should open them and draft a reply for Lord Winterton?”
    â€œAs you wish, Miss Mountford. You will find that he has made notes on the letters that he has read, to guide you in your choice of response. Now, may I bring you tea or coffee?”
    Lucia requested tea and then began to tackle the pile of letters.
    The first one was an invitation to dinner at Claridge’s with the Duke and Duchess of Argyll. “Yes, would be delighted,” it read in a strong pencilled script.
    â€˜He has a very manly hand,’ thought Lucia, as she opened a letter from a wine merchant, informing Lord Winterton of the arrival of a new shipment.
    Having read all the opened letters, Lucia set about replying to them. Before she knew it, she had reduced the pile considerably.
    â€œThere. That did not take long,’ she murmured, as she wrote all his new engagements into the desk diary she had found on the desk. ‘Now, should I open these as Jepson suggested?’
    She picked up the first unopened letter and regarded it carefully. The postmark was London and the hand a fine one.
    â€˜From a lady?’ she thought and then decided that someone’s secretary had most likely addressed it.
    She picked up the silver letter opener in the shape of sword. Pulling out the creamy paper she could see that it was covered in handwriting.
    â€œMy dearest Richard,” she read. “How cruel of you to leave so early last evening.”
    Lucia coloured and quickly put the letter back into its envelope. She had not seen the signature and she did not want to, in case she knew the lady in question.
    â€˜Well,’ she said to herself. ‘Maybe Mama was right, but how odd that he has not opened it and left it on the pile with his business correspondence. It must be a mistake. Oh dear, I shall have to own up to him that I accidentally opened something private. I do hope he will not be cross with me.’
    She quickly flicked through the remainder of the unopened letters and guessing that most of them were also from ladies, she set them to one side.
    Before she knew it the gong had sounded for luncheon. She stretched and rose from her chair, wondering where she would find the dining room.
    Fortunately Jepson was in the hall waiting for her.
    â€œDo come this way, Miss Mountford. His Lordship is just upstairs and he will join you shortly.”
    She followed Jepson into the dining room. It was a large room with a huge crystal chandelier that hung over an imposing mahogany table.
    She sat down in the carver chair that Jepson had indicated and waited.
    There were flowers on the table and she noticed that the water glass in front of her was of the best crystal.
    â€˜He must be very rich,’ she mused. ‘We would not bring out such glasses for luncheon.’
    â€œGood afternoon.”
    Lord Winterton’s deep voice resonated around the large room.
    He was wearing a dark-blue lounge coat and one of the latest shirts with a fashionably modern collar. His coat made his eyes look even bluer and more startling than ever. Lucia was forced to admit that he was indeed an extremely handsome man.
    â€œI trust that you found your first morning passed swiftly and usefully?”
    â€œYes, sir,” she answered, “I have finished replying to all your opened letters. I have to confess that I opened a letter from a lady by mistake. I hope you will forgive me for the intrusion into your privacy.”
    To her amazement Lord Winterton threw back his head and laughed throatily.
    â€œMy dear, I put those unopened letters in the pile so that you might reply on my behalf. They are from silly women whose heads are full of fanciful notions about the true nature of our involvements. I