hair shining silkily, full green skirts flaring round her slim legs as she walked. She looked gay and vital, smiling as she took Jimmy's outstretched hands.
"Well, hello!" Jimmy whistled. "You've done something to yourself—you look different."
"An improvement?" Her eyes laughed at him.
"Definitely," he agreed.
Mrs. Butler was wide-eyed, and Kate looked at her eagerly. "Do you like the new me?"
"Charming," Mrs. Butler nodded. "Quite charming. What a difference clothes can make! You always look very attractive, my dear, even in those jeans, but in that dress you look quite stunning… that is the word, wouldn't you say, Jimmy?"
"Stunning is the
mot juste
," he agreed with a grin.
Kate kissed her, on impulse. "I won't be late, I promise."
Mrs. Butler hugged her. "Forget time for tonight. Just enjoy yourself, child."
There was no sign of Nicholas as they left the house, but as they drove down the drive, Kate, glancing wistfully back, was sure she saw his head outlined against the faint gleam of a window upstairs.
"I've booked a table at my favourite restaurant." Jimmy smiled at her. "I hope you like French cooking."
"Where is it?"
"Half an hour's drive—very popular night spot. You can dance after dinner, and they do a couple of floor shows. Good band, friendly people. You'll like it."
"It sounds rather smart. Am I suitably dressed?" She looked down doubtfully.
"Perfect," he assured her. "This isn't London, you know. Girls wear almost anything to these places and no one raises an eyebrow. Things are pretty free and easy."
"Well, that's a relief." She settled back with a sigh. They drove in silence for a while, then Jimmy glanced at her and asked what she was thinking about.
"Sylvia," she said absently, then flushed and looked at him in consternation.
"Funny," he said cheerfully, "so was I! Tell me, Princess, what have you done to offend Sylvia?"
"How do you mean?" She was wary.
"When I asked her to give you the message about our date I did it as a tease. I knew it would make her mad to be used as a messenger to another girl, but I didn't expect it to have quite such an effect. She went purple with rage. She hates you, sweetie." He looked at her oddly. "I wonder why."
"You're exaggerating."
He shook his head. "No, Sylvia despises me too much to hide her feelings in front of me. She might pretend with Nick, but never with me. What have you done to her?"
"I haven't done anything." Kate spoke firmly, with some annoyance at his persistence. She did not want to continue with this conversation.
"Come off it, love. Even Sylvia isn't that irrational. I suppose she objects to Nick's interest in you?"
His calm reference to Nick brought a flood of hot, revealing colour to her face. She felt her heart thud against her chest and her throat closed convulsively.
Jimmy shot her a look. "Sorry, am I trespassing on private territory? I was just waffling. But take my advice and steer clear of Sylvia. She makes Mata Hari look like Goldilocks. She's far from being a nice girl."
"I never thought Goldilocks was very nice, either," said Kate in a desperate attempt to change the subject. "Eating other people's porridge, breaking up their home…"
"That does sound like Sylvia," agreed Jimmy, with a hoot of laughter.
"How is your father?" Kate asked wildly.
Jimmy laughed, but obligingly replied, and the conversation left the subject of Sylvia for the rest of the evening.
The meal was delectable, beautifully cooked and served, in pleasant but not over-obtrusive surroundings. After they had eaten they danced for a while, then watched the cabaret. Kate found herself getting tired soon afterwards. She was not used to late nights or noise, and the atmosphere of the restaurant during the floor show was rather wearing. The band was beginning to make her head ache, the dazzle of revolving lights, the overheated atmosphere, all combined to give her a feeling of sudden weariness.
Jimmy grimaced, seeing her suddenly drooping. "You look
"Well, hello!" Jimmy whistled. "You've done something to yourself—you look different."
"An improvement?" Her eyes laughed at him.
"Definitely," he agreed.
Mrs. Butler was wide-eyed, and Kate looked at her eagerly. "Do you like the new me?"
"Charming," Mrs. Butler nodded. "Quite charming. What a difference clothes can make! You always look very attractive, my dear, even in those jeans, but in that dress you look quite stunning… that is the word, wouldn't you say, Jimmy?"
"Stunning is the
mot juste
," he agreed with a grin.
Kate kissed her, on impulse. "I won't be late, I promise."
Mrs. Butler hugged her. "Forget time for tonight. Just enjoy yourself, child."
There was no sign of Nicholas as they left the house, but as they drove down the drive, Kate, glancing wistfully back, was sure she saw his head outlined against the faint gleam of a window upstairs.
"I've booked a table at my favourite restaurant." Jimmy smiled at her. "I hope you like French cooking."
"Where is it?"
"Half an hour's drive—very popular night spot. You can dance after dinner, and they do a couple of floor shows. Good band, friendly people. You'll like it."
"It sounds rather smart. Am I suitably dressed?" She looked down doubtfully.
"Perfect," he assured her. "This isn't London, you know. Girls wear almost anything to these places and no one raises an eyebrow. Things are pretty free and easy."
"Well, that's a relief." She settled back with a sigh. They drove in silence for a while, then Jimmy glanced at her and asked what she was thinking about.
"Sylvia," she said absently, then flushed and looked at him in consternation.
"Funny," he said cheerfully, "so was I! Tell me, Princess, what have you done to offend Sylvia?"
"How do you mean?" She was wary.
"When I asked her to give you the message about our date I did it as a tease. I knew it would make her mad to be used as a messenger to another girl, but I didn't expect it to have quite such an effect. She went purple with rage. She hates you, sweetie." He looked at her oddly. "I wonder why."
"You're exaggerating."
He shook his head. "No, Sylvia despises me too much to hide her feelings in front of me. She might pretend with Nick, but never with me. What have you done to her?"
"I haven't done anything." Kate spoke firmly, with some annoyance at his persistence. She did not want to continue with this conversation.
"Come off it, love. Even Sylvia isn't that irrational. I suppose she objects to Nick's interest in you?"
His calm reference to Nick brought a flood of hot, revealing colour to her face. She felt her heart thud against her chest and her throat closed convulsively.
Jimmy shot her a look. "Sorry, am I trespassing on private territory? I was just waffling. But take my advice and steer clear of Sylvia. She makes Mata Hari look like Goldilocks. She's far from being a nice girl."
"I never thought Goldilocks was very nice, either," said Kate in a desperate attempt to change the subject. "Eating other people's porridge, breaking up their home…"
"That does sound like Sylvia," agreed Jimmy, with a hoot of laughter.
"How is your father?" Kate asked wildly.
Jimmy laughed, but obligingly replied, and the conversation left the subject of Sylvia for the rest of the evening.
The meal was delectable, beautifully cooked and served, in pleasant but not over-obtrusive surroundings. After they had eaten they danced for a while, then watched the cabaret. Kate found herself getting tired soon afterwards. She was not used to late nights or noise, and the atmosphere of the restaurant during the floor show was rather wearing. The band was beginning to make her head ache, the dazzle of revolving lights, the overheated atmosphere, all combined to give her a feeling of sudden weariness.
Jimmy grimaced, seeing her suddenly drooping. "You look
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