bad turn, go ahead."
Rosina glared at him sulphurously.
At that moment the door opened and Sir Elroy emerged. He looked askance at Rosina.
"We'll talk some more on that matter later," he said.
"Yes Papa, but will you tell me how you knew about it?"
"Why, Lord Blakemore told me, of course. I asked why he'd withdrawn his patronage of Woodward, and he explained what he'd discovered, with your help. Why? Who else could it possibly have been?"
"Nobody Papa. I wasn't thinking. I'll leave you two now, because I'm sure you have much to discuss."
She fled. She was blushing all over at the injustice she had done to Sir John. How could she have been guilty of such a terrible thing?
That afternoon a dressmaker called with the gown,
made of shimmering blue satin, that she was to wear that night. On her feet she wore dainty silver sandals, and her head was adorned with Mama's diamonds.
She knew she was a vision of beauty, but for some reason she could take no pleasure in it. She couldn't be happy until she had seen Sir John and apologised.
Mama would not be coming tonight, as the Blakemores were collecting her. When she heard the carriage arrive outside, she began to descend the stairs slowly.
As she came around the curve in the stairs she saw Sir John standing in the hall below. He wore white tie and tails, as though he was going to the ball.
He looked up and saw her.
Then he grew very still.
There was a look in his eyes as they rested on her that made Rosina's spirits soar. He watched as she descended, then reached out to take her hand as she took the last step onto the floor. She waited for him to speak, but he did not. He seemed transfixed by the sight of her.
At last he spoke.
"Rosina," he said softly. "Rosina – "
Her heart was beating too hard for her to speak. She wanted to say something, but no words would be enough to answer what she saw in his eyes.
The world seemed to stop.
"My dear, are you ready?"
The sound of her mother's voice broke the spell.
She came out of her dream and returned to the present. It seemed to be the same with him.
"Yes, Mama," she called, drawing back from him.
Lady Clarendon appeared in the hall, in a flurry of
agitation.
"The carriage is here. Sir John will go with you, he is also invited. Enjoy yourselves, both of you."
The butler was opening the front door. Sir John offered her his arm. Rosina took it and they swept out together.
The magic moment was over.
She still had much to say to him, but now it was impossible. Sitting in the carriage with the Blakemores, they could speak of nothing but trivialities.
But the chance would come at the ball, she thought. He would ask her to dance and they could talk then.
But he never did ask her. He danced with Lady Doreen once, with Lettice Holden twice and with every other beauty in the room, it seemed to Rosina. But he never once approached her and, in fact, left the ball early, saying that he had urgent papers to read.
To Rosina it sounded like a feeble excuse.
Later that evening the Blakemore coach dropped her at home, then went on with Lady Doreen.
As Rosina entered the house her mother opened the door to the library, beckoning her, and Rosina went in.
"Was it a good evening?" Mama asked. "Did anything happen?"
By 'anything' she meant a proposal.
"Lord Senwick made me an offer, Mama," Rosina said listlessly.
Lady Clarendon's hands flew to her mouth.
"You are engaged to Lord Senwick?"
At that moment Rosina became aware that her father and Sir John were in the room, listening.
"Oh no, Mama. I refused him."
Lady Clarendon gave a little scream.
"You turned him down? Without consulting your father or me?"
"He's a rather stupid man. When I try to talk politics he says he wouldn't dream of burdening a lady's head with anything so dreary. Honestly, what can you say to such stuff?"
"Nothing at all," Sir John said cheerfully. "He is clearly beyond redemption."
Lady Clarendon ignored this.
"But you rejected him without
Rosina glared at him sulphurously.
At that moment the door opened and Sir Elroy emerged. He looked askance at Rosina.
"We'll talk some more on that matter later," he said.
"Yes Papa, but will you tell me how you knew about it?"
"Why, Lord Blakemore told me, of course. I asked why he'd withdrawn his patronage of Woodward, and he explained what he'd discovered, with your help. Why? Who else could it possibly have been?"
"Nobody Papa. I wasn't thinking. I'll leave you two now, because I'm sure you have much to discuss."
She fled. She was blushing all over at the injustice she had done to Sir John. How could she have been guilty of such a terrible thing?
That afternoon a dressmaker called with the gown,
made of shimmering blue satin, that she was to wear that night. On her feet she wore dainty silver sandals, and her head was adorned with Mama's diamonds.
She knew she was a vision of beauty, but for some reason she could take no pleasure in it. She couldn't be happy until she had seen Sir John and apologised.
Mama would not be coming tonight, as the Blakemores were collecting her. When she heard the carriage arrive outside, she began to descend the stairs slowly.
As she came around the curve in the stairs she saw Sir John standing in the hall below. He wore white tie and tails, as though he was going to the ball.
He looked up and saw her.
Then he grew very still.
There was a look in his eyes as they rested on her that made Rosina's spirits soar. He watched as she descended, then reached out to take her hand as she took the last step onto the floor. She waited for him to speak, but he did not. He seemed transfixed by the sight of her.
At last he spoke.
"Rosina," he said softly. "Rosina – "
Her heart was beating too hard for her to speak. She wanted to say something, but no words would be enough to answer what she saw in his eyes.
The world seemed to stop.
"My dear, are you ready?"
The sound of her mother's voice broke the spell.
She came out of her dream and returned to the present. It seemed to be the same with him.
"Yes, Mama," she called, drawing back from him.
Lady Clarendon appeared in the hall, in a flurry of
agitation.
"The carriage is here. Sir John will go with you, he is also invited. Enjoy yourselves, both of you."
The butler was opening the front door. Sir John offered her his arm. Rosina took it and they swept out together.
The magic moment was over.
She still had much to say to him, but now it was impossible. Sitting in the carriage with the Blakemores, they could speak of nothing but trivialities.
But the chance would come at the ball, she thought. He would ask her to dance and they could talk then.
But he never did ask her. He danced with Lady Doreen once, with Lettice Holden twice and with every other beauty in the room, it seemed to Rosina. But he never once approached her and, in fact, left the ball early, saying that he had urgent papers to read.
To Rosina it sounded like a feeble excuse.
Later that evening the Blakemore coach dropped her at home, then went on with Lady Doreen.
As Rosina entered the house her mother opened the door to the library, beckoning her, and Rosina went in.
"Was it a good evening?" Mama asked. "Did anything happen?"
By 'anything' she meant a proposal.
"Lord Senwick made me an offer, Mama," Rosina said listlessly.
Lady Clarendon's hands flew to her mouth.
"You are engaged to Lord Senwick?"
At that moment Rosina became aware that her father and Sir John were in the room, listening.
"Oh no, Mama. I refused him."
Lady Clarendon gave a little scream.
"You turned him down? Without consulting your father or me?"
"He's a rather stupid man. When I try to talk politics he says he wouldn't dream of burdening a lady's head with anything so dreary. Honestly, what can you say to such stuff?"
"Nothing at all," Sir John said cheerfully. "He is clearly beyond redemption."
Lady Clarendon ignored this.
"But you rejected him without
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