Barbara Cartland - Two Hearts in Hungary

One of the housemaids from The Castle was now employed at Ling Park.

Emily, for that was the girl’s name, talked of nothing but the beauty of the Empress and Aletha learned a great deal from her.

Also, although he did not mean it, from her father.

“Queen Victoria, accompanied by John Brown,” she heard him say to one of their recent guests, “called at Ventnor where the Empress had taken a house.”

“I had heard that she was there,” the Earl replied, “because her daughter was ill and sea-bathing was thought to be good for her.”

“That is right,” the Duke agreed. “But I am told that John Brown, of all people, was dazzled by the Empress’s beauty!”

There was a great deal of laughter at this.

Aletha knew that it was because John Brown was a rather dour Scottish ghillie who was attached to Queen Victoria and she to him.

Because he was Her Majesty’s favourite servant, he was often rude to the Courtiers and Statesmen in a way that they greatly resented.

When the laughter subsided, the Duke’s guest had carried on,

“John Brown may have been bowled over, but little Valeria was terrified of the Queen. In fact, she said, ‘I have never seen such a fat lady’!”

There was more laughter, but Aletha, listening to the conversation was interested only in what was said about the beautiful Empress Elizabeth.

There was a great deal more gossip when she came to England again two years ago.

Then, needless to say, everyone talked about her association with Captain Bay Middleton and the fact that the Empress was always in high spirits and quite untiring.

She had attended every Steeplechase in the neighbourhood and after one competition had been awarded a silver cup.

It was then that people began to speculate as to whether it was the hunt or the man with whom she was hunting that made her seem more beautiful than she had been before.

Aletha had met Captain Middleton with her father and she could therefore understand why the Empress admired him so much.

He was thirty, tall and good-looking with red-brown hair and a dark complexion.

He was called ‘Bay’ after the famous horse of that name, which had won the Derby in 1836.

Bay Middleton had been invited to Godollo for the hunting and so was Aletha’s father.

Aletha had prayed at the time that one day she might go with him.

And now the Empress was actually coming to Ling Park!

She knew that nothing could be more thrilling for her father, herself and everyone in the house and on the estate.

There was no doubt that Mr. Heywood was excited as well when he heard the news.

“I was going to talk to Your Grace,” he said to the Duke, “about some horses that are coming up for sale at Tattersalls this week. But if we are to buy Hungarian bloodstock, it will be unnecessary.”

“Why do we not have both?” the Duke asked him. “And, if you leave for Hungary at the same time as I go to Denmark, there will still be plenty of time to have them in perfect trim for the arrival the Empress.”

“You know well that there is nothing I would enjoy more, Your Grace, than spending your money!” Mr. Heywood remarked.

The Duke laughed.

News of the Empress’s proposed visit in the autumn ran like wildfire through the house, the estate, the villages and the whole County.

On the following days there were endless callers.

They had really come just to ask if it was true that the Empress intended to stay at Ling Park.

“It is quite true,” Aletha repeated over and over again.

She waited to see the surprise, excitement and the expression of envy that sprang to the callers’ eyes.

Despite her assurance that nothing needed doing to the suite that the Empress would be occupying, her father had already given orders that some improvements should be made.

The gold leaf on the ceilings and dados was to be touched up amongst others.

“How long are you going to be in Denmark, Papa?” Aletha asked him when he began to arrange for his cases to be packed for the journey.

His medals and decorations also had to be taken from the safe.

“I am afraid it will be at least two weeks, my dearest,” he answered, “I wish I could take you with me.”

“I wish you could,” Aletha said. “It will be very dull here without you.”

“Your cousin Jane is coming to stay,” the Duke replied.

Aletha made a little grimace, but she did not say anything.

Cousin Jane was over sixty and slightly deaf. She lived only a few miles away and was only too willing to come to Ling Park to chaperone Aletha whenever she was asked to do so.

At the same time she was undoubtedly a considerable bore and Aletha knew that her father was careful not to have Cousin Jane to stay when he was at home.

However there was one consolation.

She could escape from listening to Cousin Jane’s constant complaints about her health by going riding.

Aletha had once suggested another and younger relative should chaperone her, but found that she was a very poor horsewoman. She became resentful if those who were riding with her went ahead of her, leaving her behind.

It was not the same as having her father there to ride out with her.

Whenever he was at home, there were always amusing and interesting people turning up to see him day after day.

There were plenty of Point-to-Points and Steeplechases that took place regularly in the vicinity.

“Don’t be away for too long, Papa,” she begged.

“Not one minute more than I have to,” the Duke replied. “Much as I do like the Danes, I find the Ceremonial visits and the endless speeches that go with them extremely boring.”

“Surely the Queen could find somebody else to send in your place?” Aletha suggested crossly.

The Duke’s eyes twinkled.

“Her Majesty likes to be represented by someone who looks the part.”

Aletha laughed.

“Which you certainly do, Papa. In fact I suspect that as usual you will leave behind you a great number of broken hearts and this time it will be Danish ones!”

“I cannot think where you get these ideas from,” her father replied.

At the same time she knew that he rather enjoyed the compliment.

The day before the Duke left Mr. Heywood arrived for a last word on the horses before he too left the next morning for Hungary on his mission for the Duke.

They talked about the horses all the afternoon.

Finally Mr. Heywood stayed on for dinner, sending a groom to his house so that he could change into his evening clothes.

When Aletha came down wearing one of the pretty new gowns that had been bought for her debut in London, he said,

“You will most undoubtedly, Lady Aletha, be the belle of every ball you attend, just as I remember your mother being many years ago.”

“I shall never be as lovely as Mama,” Aletha answered, “but I will certainly do my best not to disgrace Papa as his only daughter.”

“You will never do that,” Mr. Heywood smiled.

He spoke with a sincerity that she liked and found refreshing.

She realised that he admired her and it was somehow very consoling.

She was always afraid that she would not live up to the reputation of the beautiful Lings, who all down the centuries had been acclaimed for their loveliness.

They had all been painted by every famous artist of their time.

In the Van Dyck Gallery at Ling Park there were portraits that she bore a recognisable resemblance to.

Also to those by Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds and Romney, which were hanging in the drawing rooms or on the stairs.

‘I am certainly up against some very stiff competition,’ Aletha mused to herself.

Yet she knew that, if Mr. Heywood admired her, she need not be as nervous as she had been two or three years ago.