This one was in shadow and, instead of sitting down on the seat with its soft cushions, she moved close to the Duke and put her arms round his neck.

He kissed her roughly and almost angrily as if he was relieving his feelings rather than enjoying what he was doing.

Then, as Aline drew closer and still closer to him, his kisses became more passionate.

She knew that once again she had swept away his depression and the rebellion that she had sensed was not very far from the surface.

It was a long time later that they walked slowly back to join the crowds moving under the trees and returned to the ballroom.

As they did so, the Countess enjoyed a sense of triumph that once again she had held the Duke captive and no one, not even his wife, would be able to take him from her.

CHAPTER FIVE

Honora looked out of the window and saw it was a lovely day for her wedding.

The sun was shining, the flowers were a kaleidoscope of colour in the garden and the flags on top of the marquee where the tenants and estate workers were to celebrate were moving only very slightly in the soft breeze.

It would prevent anybody from feeling too hot, she thought, and the windows of the ballroom where the reception was to be held would all be open.

For the last few days she had felt as if she moved in a dream and now the day of the wedding had actually come she could not believe it was real.

There had been so much to do and her aunt had become more disagreeable and more vitriolic every moment, so that only by shutting herself away in a fantasy world could Honora ignore the future that was looming nearer and nearer.

When she did think about it, she was frightened, but fortunately when she went to bed at night she was too tired to do anything but fall asleep.

Now she found herself wondering if at the last moment she should run away.

She could imagine the consternation it would cause and the row that would ensue, but at the same time she would be free – free to be herself and not just the Duke’s wife.

She could not think of herself as a Duchess. She would be merely one of his possessions with, as far as he was concerned, as much freedom as if she was a chair or a table.

‘If I was a horse, he would pay more attention to me,’ she thought several times.

But she felt too shy to force herself upon the Duke and try to talk to him.

Anyway it would have been impossible because her aunt always seemed to find something for her to do whenever the Duke came to the house that involved her either going upstairs or to the garden or the stables.

Innocently Honora had explained this to herself by supposing that her aunt was scared that she might once again tell the Duke that she had no wish to marry him.