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    Music From Heaven
    Music From Heaven
    Music From Heaven
    Ebook176 pages2 hours

    Music From Heaven

    By Barbara Cartland

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The beautiful Martina Bradshaw has sadly lost both her beloved father and her loving mother.
    They live in the little Kent village of Preston Bailey where her father, a talented musician, had written his music, which had never been successful with the public.
    Now Martina has to find a way of making money to pay her household of Mrs. Amos the cook and Lily the housemaid, although a near neighbour, Sir Alexander Palmer, has bought many of her father's music memorabilia that she has no use for and is now showing a keen interest in Martina's welfare.
    Another neighbour, the handsome Earl of Westfield, has a ten year old half-sister, Lady Anne, who is a difficult child and has been impossible to teach music to. So the Earl engages Martina to teach Lady Anne and she soon gains her trust.
    In the meantime one of her mother's old friends, Mrs. Elizabeth Carrington, invites her to a party in London and she unexpectedly meets the Earl at the Station and he drives her in his carriage to her destination.
    Later she plays her father's tunes on a piano at the party and a music publisher promises to issue them.
    When the Country Fair comes to Preston Bailey, everyone in the neighbourhood is drawn to the spectacle including the Earl and Lady Anne. It is a happy day, although trouble is brewing for Martina.
    How Lady Anne goes missing in a dreadful stormy night and is found in the Earl's maze by Martina, only to lose her again.
    How Lady Anne is rescued from a raging river and Sir Alexander Palmer's true intent towards Martina is revealed.
    And how Martina and the Earl find the love they have both been seeking is told in this fast-moving romance by BARBARA CARTLAND.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBarbara Cartland Ebooks ltd
    Release dateDec 12, 2016
    ISBN9781782139027
    Music From Heaven

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      Book preview

      Music From Heaven - Barbara Cartland

      Cartland

      CHAPTER ONE ~ 1901

      The Earl of Westfield swung down from his great grey stallion outside Fox Priory, the Tudor manor house on his country estate, situated deep in the lush meadow lands of the County of Kent.

      He handed the reins to a waiting groom.

      Do check his off hind hoof, please, Matthew, the Earl said, trying to brush mud off his breeches. The shoe feels loose.

      Right away, my Lord.

      He moves well. Jumps like a stag.

      The tall dark-haired man patted the steaming grey neck of his newest acquisition and then reached up to pull his inquisitive ears.

      Then he turned, reluctant to go indoors to face the problems that he knew awaited him.

      Galloping across the countryside, jumping streams and hedges in South-East England on this lovely summer morning, he had been free from the cares and worries that surrounded him.

      Four months earlier, the Earl’s life had been easy and enjoyable.

      As the Viscount Masterson, he had been in nominal charge of the Westfield estates in Britain, but his Stewards and Managers were all capable men and he had often left the day to day running of the properties to them while he enjoyed himself amongst the members of the Social world in London.

      Then had come the tragic news from America that his father had died and with it came the inheritance of the title, Earl of Westfield, and ownership of the magnificent Unsworth House in Knightsbridge, where he lived when in London and this superb Tudor mansion, Fox Priory, set in the Weald of Kent.

      Fox Priory had been closed up for years and the estate run from the Manager’s home nearby.

      As a young man, the then Viscount Masterson had not been close to his parents.

      He had been nine years old and at boarding school when his mother died and had hardly seen his father during the holidays.

      Then, when he was almost eighteen, his father had remarried and with Claudine, his new wife, had travelled out to view the vast swathes of land the family owned in Virginia.

      He had received occasional letters from his father, but twelve years had passed by before the news reached him that his father and stepmother had both died suddenly from a fever.

      Everything in the family now belonged to Peter including Guardianship of his half-sister, ten-year-old Lady Anne Westfield.

      His life had changed dramatically.

      The lazy days of hunting, fishing and parties were now in the past. He had opened up Fox Priory, closed for many years, and moved out of London and down to Kent because it seemed a far better place to raise a child.

      Overnight it seemed he had been forced to grow up and become a parent. And he was well aware that, so far, he was not making a very good job of it.

      Now, reluctantly, he climbed the flight of steps that led to the ancient nail-studded front door.

      As he approached, it was flung open and a tall, thin, elderly woman, clad in black from her bonnet to her button boots came rushing towards him.

      Miss Durston, good morning, I trust –

      Good morning, my Lord!

      Miss Durston clutched her large leather bag to her chest and glared at her employer.

      I would hope that your music lesson with Lady Anne went well?

      My Lord, sir. I am sorry, but I fear I can no longer teach your sister. She is – she is too wild!

      The Earl shut his eyes for a second and swallowed hard. He had been expecting this, but not for a week or two.

      Miss Durston was the third music teacher he had employed in as many months. She was his housekeeper’s sister and the Earl was convinced that she would succeed where others had failed.

      Come, Miss Durston, Anne is only a little girl, just ten. Surely you can make allowances.

      Miss Durston refused to be moved by his pleas.

      She indeed needed the money badly to supplement her small income, but she did not think that even one of the Blessed Saints would have been able to teach the piano to that dreadful child.

      Forgive me, my Lord. I have quite made up my mind.

      And she then hurried down the steps and almost ran away along the drive.

      The Earl ran his fingers through his dark hair and grimly made his way indoors.

      On the death of his father and stepmother, he had inherited a vast estate and fortune, but he was now the only relative of a bad-tempered, selfish, spoilt little girl.

      He found Anne in the nursery, sitting half-hidden behind the blue velvet curtains that hung across the deep window seat.

      One of the nursery maids was standing in front of her, holding a frilly pink party dress in her hands.

      She dropped a curtsey as the Earl came into the room.

      Mary.

      My Lord.

      What have you there?

      It be Lady Anne’s dress for a party she’s goin’ to. Lady Lucy Glendowning’s tenth birthday celebration and time’s a-goin’ by and Lady Anne really does now need to be gettin’ changed.

      Anne?

      Go way! 

      The reply came in an angry tone.

      Mary says you must get ready for the party.

      Don’t want to. I hate parties.

      As much as you hate your music lessons?

      I hate that silly old woman. My Papa would never make me learn music from her. She smells.

      The Earl groaned to himself silently. Ever since her arrival in England, Anne had been a problem. She was rude to the servants, hardly ate enough to keep a mouse alive and constantly refused to concentrate on her music lessons.

      He had decided that there was plenty of time to introduce a Governess into the household. He wanted his sister to get used to the English way of life first.

      He was not worried about her reading and writing skills. He knew that they were good from reports she had brought with her from Virginia.

      At the same time he really wanted her to continue her music. He firmly believed that every young woman should be able to play the piano, sketch and embroider.

      He knew that most of the trouble was because Anne had been very spoilt all her life, been given everything she ever desired and no one had ever said ‘no’ to her.

      To make matters worse, she had recently lost both her parents and so had had to leave everything that was familiar and dear to her to travel to England to live with her half-brother, a man she had never met.

      The Earl had every sympathy with his small sister, but knew that if he did not find a remedy for her behaviour soon, she would turn into the most objectionable young woman and not bring credit on the Westfield family.

      He took the dress from the maid and motioned to her to leave the room.

      Then, squaring his shoulders, he turned to do battle with the ten-year-old who was glowering at him through her tangled black curls.

      He just hoped that this party would be worth the fight he was about to have.

      *

      In a small house on the far side of the Kent village of Preston Bailey, the birthday party was also uppermost in Martina Bradshaw’s thoughts.

      Mama, must I go?  It is so hot out today and my tennis dress is old-fashioned and too short now I have put up my hair.

      Mrs. Bradshaw smiled wearily at her only daughter. Lady Glendowning has arranged a tennis party for older girls while her youngest, Lucy, is having her birthday celebrations. It was kind of her to invite you.

      Martina peered at herself in the long cheval mirror and pulled a face.

      Oh, dear, she sighed, why will my hair not stay up?  It looks like a bird’s nest.

      Just three months ago, Martina had turned eighteen and had joyfully put up her radiant long fair hair with a wealth of pins.

      She was forced to admit that she was not yet very accomplished at this part of her toilette and the Bradshaws had no lady’s maid to help her.

      Strands of glorious golden hair kept escaping from the severe style she was trying to adopt. Martina had no idea that the curls that framed her face turned her into a stunningly beautiful girl.

      Because I used to share a Governess with Sophia Glendowning does not make us friends, Mama!

      Mrs. Bradshaw sighed.

      She had given birth to Martina very late in life and since the death of her husband had struggled to make a comfortable home for her daughter.

      Life had not treated the Bradshaws well. Their two sons had both been killed out in South Africa during the Boer War.

      They had both died as heroes, fighting bravely, but, as Mrs. Bradshaw sometimes thought grimly, that did not help pay the rent.

      She turned her attention back to Martina.

      I think you look very pretty, my dearest.

      Martina pouted.

      This old dress will just look shabby compared to what the other girls will be wearing.

      Biting her lip, Mrs. Bradshaw turned and busied herself tidying the scattered brushes and combs on top of the dressing table.

      There was no money for new clothes of any kind. But, of course, Martina did not know that.

      ‘I wonder if I have been entirely sensible in keeping her in ignorance of our dire circumstances?’ she had often asked herself. ‘She does not even know that I only rent this house and don’t own it. Oh dear, it is so vital that she makes a good marriage, but in the meantime – ’

      Martina, forget dresses for the moment. Have you given any thought as to what you are going to do in life to earn some money now that you are eighteen?

      At once Martina looked startled and her dark blue eyes suddenly shadowed.

      Why no, Mama. What could I possibly do?

      There was a silence before her mother answered,

      You have had a very good education, dearest, and a very expensive one, as I had managed to persuade Lady Glendowning to let you share Sophia’s Governess. And somehow we have managed for the last five years, but now you are too old to just sit at home. And we do not have enough money for you to lead a life of idleness.

      Martina was too shocked to reply.

      She sank down on her bed and gazed up at her mother as she continued,

      I must make you aware that we have no money to take us abroad or to buy the dresses which would make you look lovely, but it would cost far more than we have to pay for them.

      Martina suddenly realised that she had in fact been greedy in asking her for more clothes, more hats and more entertainment which would all have to be paid for.

      She had not considered that she was taking from her mother so much that she must have deprived herself of other necessities to supply it.

      With a horrified dawning realisation she saw that it was she who had always asked for more or rather wanted more.

      I have been so remiss, Mama, in asking you for too much, she now said. As I think about it, while you have given me a new dress almost every Season, it’s a long time since you had anything new yourself.

      Her mother smiled.

      I know, dearest, but then your need is greater than mine. As you well know, girls like Sophia Glendowning and her friends are all from rich families and I would not have been happy if you had not looked as smart as them.

      You have been just wonderful, Mama, Martina said warmly, reaching up to clasp her mother’s hand.

      She took a deep breath as she realised that she must consider her future in a new light.

      I am old enough now, Mama, to look after myself. I am sure that I can learn to make some of my own clothes. And you must help me think about what I can do to make enough money for us to have a lovely holiday somewhere rich and fashionable where we will meet people like you and Papa used to know and entertain.

      Her mother laughed, her weary face lightening with her tender smile.

      "Your father was never a man for entertaining. I always had the greatest trouble in prising him away from his

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