Lovers in London by Barbara Cartland

any of her most outlandish dreams.
    The brilliance of the dining room was unreal and so were the glamorous ladies glittering with diamonds, rubies and emeralds in their hair and round their necks.
    And there was the Prince of Wales himself sitting beside the beautiful Lillie Langtry.
    â€˜I cannot believe I am really seeing this,’ she had said to herself.
    When she looked at the Marquis, she felt that he too was not really human. He was a hero who had stepped out of one of the novels that her mother had said she was too young to read before she was eighteen.
    â€˜It was real, it really was!’ Lanthia now told herself as she turned over on her pillow.
    Then once again she imagined she was listening to the music being played in the hotel courtyard until she fell asleep.
    *
    She woke early in the morning and dressed before she went into Mrs. Blossom’s room to see how she was.
    She expected that she would come into the sitting room as they had agreed they would have breakfast at eight o’clock.
    However, when she entered Mrs. Blossom’s room, it was in darkness.
    She thought she was fast asleep until a husky voice from the bed asked,
    â€œIs that you, Lanthia?”
    â€œYes it is. I do hope you had a good night.”
    â€œI am afraid, my dear, that I do believe I have now contracted a touch of influenza. I started to cough in the night and, although I took some pills, I know that I have a temperature, so I really should stay in bed.”
    â€œOf course you must,” exclaimed Lanthia. “I will order you some breakfast, because I am sure you will feel better if you have a cup of coffee or some tea, but you must not get up.”
    â€œBut what about you, Lanthia?”
    â€œI shall be fine. I will engage a Hackney Carriage to the shop and arrange for it to wait while I have a fitting for my gown and then I will come back to the hotel.”
    â€œYou don’t think you should ask one of the maids to go with you?” suggested Mrs. Blossom.
    â€œI shall be quite all right. Mama would not like me to walk about the streets alone, but if I go in a carriage and come back in one, there should be no harm in that.”
    â€œI suppose not,” agreed Mrs. Blossom in a worried tone. “Please, my dear, stay in your room as much as you can, I am sure I shall be better tomorrow.”
    â€œYou don’t think you should see a doctor?”
    â€œNo, of course not. I am not as bad as that. I have had these attacks before and if I take the right pills, it will all be over in twenty-four hours.”
    She spoke optimistically, but as Lanthia drew back the curtains she saw that the older woman looked pale and rather drawn.
    She did everything she could, tidying the room and ordering breakfast.
    Mrs. Blossom promised to try to eat something, but Lanthia knew at once that all she really wanted was to be able to rest and if possible sleep.
    Her condition certainly made matters much easier as far as she was concerned and she fervently hoped that Mrs. Blossom would not realise that she had gone out to luncheon.
    As soon as she had finished her breakfast she went downstairs and as she had promised Mrs. Blossom, she took a Hackney Carriage to the shop where her evening gown was to be fitted.
    She told the driver to wait to take her back to the hotel.
    A great deal of work had been done since she had chosen the dress yesterday. In fact the vendeuse said it would be ready in two hours time.
    Suddenly Lanthia wondered if the Marquis might want her to dine with him tonight. If so, she had nothing elegant to wear except the gown she had worn last night.
    There were two other gowns that she had hesitated over before she chose the one that was being altered. They were both up-to-date and not to be compared in any way with the simple dresses she had brought to wear when she was alone with Mrs. Blossom.
    Feeling that she must not let the Marquis down if they had to go to another party tonight, she