Pray For Love

CHAPTER ONE 1875-1

CHAPTER ONE 1875Lady Galina More walked out into the garden.

It was May and the daffodils were golden under the trees and the shrubs were just coming into blossom.

She breathed in the fresh air thinking how lovely it was and how much she enjoyed being in the country.

She had been in London for the whole of last week being presented at Court and enjoying the balls that took place every night.

But she could not help feeling it was much nicer to be in the country with her horses.

She was hoping that her brother would be joining her soon as it was lonely without him.

Returning home last night she had been disappointed not to spend the evening with him as he had already accepted an invitation to a dinner party.

“I promise I will be with you before luncheon,” he had said confidently. “But I dare not skip this dinner. The host is an old friend of Papa’s, who would be very hurt if I do not show up.”

“Then, of course, Georgie, you must go, and I shall see you in the morning. But I am warning you, please don’t throw me over at the last moment or I shall have to go back to London.”

“I think that what we both need is a breather in the country,” the Earl of Ranmore replied. “London is all right for a little while, but I am beginning to feel stifled.”

Galina felt just the same.

She had been brought up in the country and more than anything else she enjoyed riding her brother’s superb horses.

It had also been fun that everyone had told her she was ‘the success of the Season’.

‘I shall have to go back to London very soon,’ she thought. ‘Otherwise some people will be offended if I have to refuse their invitations.’

There was one she really wanted to accept.

She definitely could not refuse the ball to be given by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales at Marlborough House.

She had always been totally fascinated by hearing, as everyone else had, about the love affairs of the Prince and she longed to meet the beautiful Princess Alexandra, who had captivated the hearts of the English public.

Walking across the lawn, she was wondering which of her lovely gowns she should wear on that occasion.

She thought actually it would be a good idea to ask Georgie as he always knew what suited her best.

Her brother was also undoubtedly a social success in his own way.

Not only because he was handsome and had come into his father’s title three years ago, but also because he was a superb sportsman.

It was pleasing to know that he had some excellent horses in his stable and had every chance of winning the Gold Cup at Ascot this year.

There was, however, one matter that worried her more than a little.

Having opened up Ranmore House in London and bought expensive gowns to make her the most fashionable of all the debutantes, they had spent a great deal of money.

Georgie had no wife and only four years in age separated the siblings.

Thus they ran the family estate together and seldom did anything without asking the other if it was the sensible thing to do.

Now as Galina walked into the shrubbery, she was thinking that she must talk to Georgie about money.

They might have to undertake large economies after they had spent the summer in London.

Opening the house had been very expensive, though necessary. The main expense had been hiring a much larger staff than they employed in the country, because they were entertaining so often.

Actually she enjoyed being hostess to her brother, despite one of their relations staying in the house as chaperone.

Galina smiled, as luckily the chaperone was getting old and usually preferred going to bed before dinner, or immediately after it, leaving the young hosts to their own devices.

It certainly made things easier for them to entertain friends of their own age and there were very many guests to invite who had already offered them hospitality.

It was not surprising that they had so many friends.

Their dear father, the seventh Earl, had held many important posts at Court and that meant he had to spend a great deal of his time at Windsor Castle.

“I am only thankful,” Georgie had said, “that Queen Victoria thinks me too young to offer me any of the positions Papa held. I would be bored stiff spending my time kow-towing at the Castle. I do believe Her Majesty is very demanding.”

“So I have heard,” remarked Galina. “So do enjoy yourself because sooner or later you are bound to be made Master of the Horse or, as Papa ended up, Master of the Household.”

“I would not mind the first one, but God deliver me from the second!” exclaimed Georgie.

“You are not likely to be either until you marry. I believe the Queen insists on the main posts in her Court being held by married men.”

“That is because she thinks they will not get into so much trouble as the single ones! But I can assure you that when it comes to affaires-de-coeur, the married men are usually worse than the bachelors!”

Galina had laughed, but she thought it was a good thing that her brother was still too young to be shut up in Windsor Castle.

She had only been in London a short time and yet she was well aware that there was usually a sigh on the lips of older gentlemen when they remarked,

“I am so sorry I cannot come to luncheon tomorrow because I am on duty at Windsor.”

‘Thank goodness,’ Galina said to herself, ‘Georgie and I are too young to be of any interest to Her Majesty.’

However, she realised that there were a number of important balls she must attend, especially in Ascot Week.

She hoped that her social success would be repeated and was looking forward to Ascot in anticipation.

They were planning to host a special party for the houseguests staying with them at Ranmore House in Park Lane.

Georgie had already booked a box at the Royal Ascot races and Galina was sure she would have time to watch the races and have fun as well as performing her hostess duties.

All of which would cost a great deal of money.

In fact it was something that they could not really afford to do.

It was Georgie who had insisted on doing things in exactly the same style as his father before him and he had told his sister,

“You are only a debutante once in your life, Galina! You either make a big splash and everyone is aware of you or you are a failure and no one cares if you are never seen again after the Season is finished.”

There was actually no chance of her being anything but a success.

Her mother had been beautiful and Galina was very beautiful too.

She was small with a tiny waist and exceptionally fine legs, although these were usually hidden under her skirts. Her hair was the colour of daffodils shot through with streaks of pure sunlight and her eyes the blue of the sky on a summer’s day.

Yet, surprisingly, she did not look so obviously an English beauty as she might have done.

There was something very different about her heart- shaped face and her exquisite Grecian features.

Every man who looked at her looked again.

It was not surprising after being such a success in London that she had received no less than five proposals of marriage.

She thought this was funny and laughed about it to Georgie.

“As though I would accept any man after meeting him only once! I think these men must be crazy to even imagine that I might.”

Her brother had smiled.

“You must not forgot, Galina, that you come from a very old and revered family and in addition, my dear sister, they think you are rich.”

“Rich!” Galina had exclaimed. “How can they?”

“Quite easily, because Ranmore House is one of the largest homes in London, and Ranmore Park is one of the most admired ancestral houses in the whole country.”

“But they are not mine, they are yours.”

“They make an impressive background for a pretty young lady. And let me say, I admire my sister very much and am very proud of her.”

Galina kissed him.

“I would rather have your compliments than anyone else’s and, proposals or no proposals, I am looking forward to going to the country as I would much rather talk to our horses than those stupid young men!”

Georgie had agreed with her.

She knew he was looking forward to coming down today and they had planned a long ride tomorrow round the whole estate.

She walked back to the house and, as she glanced at the old clock standing in the hallway, she realised that it was luncheon time.

She walked into the enormous dining room that was really more of a banqueting hall.

There was a minstrel gallery at one end of the room and Galina could well remember when she was a child the musicians playing there on important occasions.

There was a large ballroom at the other end of the house, but the children’s parties had been held in the dining room because it was smaller.

Now, as she sat alone at the top of the table, which was decorated with flowers and fine George II silver, she hoped that Georgie would not be delayed.

‘There are very many issues,’ she thought, ‘I must talk to him about. I know we must think seriously of how much we are currently spending.’

The butler and two footmen waited her on and that meant another four were waiting in the hall in case her brother arrived earlier than expected.

She was just sipping her coffee when there was the sound of horses’ hooves and wheels.

The butler called out,

“That’ll be his Lordship!”

Galina sprang to her feet and reached it just as her brother came through the front door.

“You are back, Georgie, and I was so hoping you would not be late!”

She flung her arms round his neck and kissed him.

“I broke all records with this new team,” he said, “they are really excellent and the best I have ever driven.”

“Are they the horses you had bought at Tattersall’s a week or so ago?”

He nodded.

“You must come and look at them later. They are all perfectly matched and it must have broken Fitzhaven’s heart to part with them.”

As he was speaking, the Earl was handing his hat and coat to the footmen.

He smoothed back his hair and walked towards the dining room with Galina beside him.

“Why did he have to part with these horses?”

“For the obvious reason! He is hard up and had to sell them.”

Galina was silent.

She was thinking of the horses they both loved and how terrible it would be if they could no longer keep them.

The Earl sat at the end of the table as the footmen hurried to bring back the dishes already sent to the kitchen.

Without being told, the butler poured him a glass of champagne.

“Two-and-a-half hours,” he boasted. “I believe no one before has ever done it in under three.”

“That was very clever of you, Georgie. But as you have such superlative horses, you are not likely to have any challengers.”

“That is very true, Galina, and when we go back to London and you are with me, you will realise how excellent they really are.”

“Don’t let’s talk of returning to London yet, I was just thinking as I was walking round the garden how lovely and peaceful it is here and how much happier I am at home in the country than anywhere else.”

“You will have to complete the Season in the same style as you began it. Everyone is talking about you and three tiresome young gentlemen have already asked me if they can have your hand in marriage.”

“I know exactly who they are, and the answer is ‘no’!” Galina stipulated firmly. “Do please send them away and tell them to stop worrying me.”

“They are just paying you a compliment, my dear beautiful sister. Most young women would be delighted to be in your shoes at the moment.”

Galina looked at him enquiringly.

“You are the toast of White’s,” he continued, “and for that matter the whole of St. James’s. Only last night His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, stopped me and congratulated me on my gorgeous sister.”