Love Lords and Lady-Birds. Barbara Cartland

you go,” Petrina exclaimed. “Talking just like some cackling old Dowager who is thrusting her daughter upon the marriage market!”

      She made a sound of contempt and went on,

      “Rupert wants my money and you think I want his title. Well, let me make it quite clear, my dear Guardian, I have no intention at all of marrying anyone unless I come to feel very different from how I feel about men at the moment.”

      “Of whom you know nothing except for a Vicar.”

      “There you go again, quoting my own words at me. All right, of whom I know nothing. But even in London they must have heard of something called ‘love’.”

      “I am surprised you have heard of it. It is the first time you have mentioned that elusive emotion.”

      “I have thought about it,” Petrina said seriously. “I have thought about it quite a lot.”

      “I am very glad to hear it.”

      “But I feel it may be something that I shall never experience.”

      “Why?” the Earl asked.

      “Because when the girls at school talked about love they were all so sloppy. They would talk about some man they had met in the holidays as if he was an Adonis. They used to go to bed with his name written on a piece of paper under their pillow and hope they would dream of him. Claire was even kissed one night!”

      “I might have guessed that,” the Earl said sarcastically.

      “She said the first time that it happened was very disappointing and not a bit what she had expected. The second was better, but not really romantic.”

      “What did she expect?” the Earl asked furiously. “Something like Dante felt for Beatrice, or Romeo for Juliet, but I have a distinct feeling that ordinary men are not like that.”

      There was silence.

      Then Petrina said,

      “I have decided that no one shall kiss me until I really want them to. Of course I should like them to try and then I shall have the satisfaction of turning them down.”

      “The truth is that your outlook on life is one of complete ignorance,” he said scathingly. “You only know what your friend Claire has told you, most of which she has learnt second hand from her brother. My advice is for you to start without a lot of preconceived poppycock ideas.”

      “Of course things may be better than I anticipate.”

      “I certainly hope they will be.”

      “May I have lots of new gowns?”

      “As many as you like since you will be paying for them.”

      She gave a little sigh of satisfaction.

      “I shall enjoy having men look at me with admiration and, of course, laughing at what I say because I am so witty.”

      “I have not been very impressed by anything you have said so far,” the Earl commented.

      “I have not had much opportunity yet, but once I get into the swing of things I expect it will come naturally.”

      “I hope not,” the Earl replied. “What you are saying naturally makes me shudder.”

      “You take things far too seriously. As I have already said, you have forgotten how to be young and carefree. If I am really going to make my debut, as you suggest, I am determined to be the most outstanding, the most exciting, and certainly the most talked-about debutante London has ever known!”

      “That is just what I am afraid of,” the Earl answered her with a groan.

      “Now you are being stiff-necked and top-lofty again,” Petrina said derisively.