The Glittering Lights (Bantam Series No. 12) by Barbara Cartland Page B

say about it.
    Cassandra did not read this paper bought by her father, because she was interested in the “Seamy” side of London, nor in the broad jokes which she did not understand.
    She read it because so often the Duke, as the Marquis of Charlbury, was mentioned in it.
    Every few months or so The Sporting Times gave a list of what they called “The Young Bloods About Town.”
    It also referred to the “Mashers” who haunted the stage-door of the Gaiety and were to be found at “the promenades” of all the Music Halls.
    Cassandra added cuttings which mentioned the Marquis to her Album, but when she was searching for his name it was impossible not to be interested in the theatre gossip with which she realised he was so closely connected.
    The Can-Can was later to lose The Alhambra its licence because of the slim legs and high kicks of a young lady called “Wiry Sal.”
    Cassandra had often wondered exactly what it was like and now she was to find out!
    Quite a number of Lord Carwen’s female guests considered they were proficient at the dance which had been denounced even in Paris because it revealed what women wore under their skirts—and what they did not wear!
    It was obvious that the ladies of Lord Carwen’s party wore extremely frilly and lacy underclothes.
    Amid the roars of applause from the Gentlemen guests present, they kicked their legs and went on kicking them round and round the room.
    Cheeks became flushed, hair became loosened, but the high lacks went on with more and more frothy underclothes being revealed until, despite every resolution, Cassandra found herself really shocked.
    The Duke was looking amused, but he was not cheering and shouting like the other men, who endeavoured to incite the girls to kick their legs even higher and be even more daring than they were already.
    She felt she could not go on looking at members of her own sex making such disgusting exhibitions of themselves. She felt as if she too was degraded because she was a woman.
    “It is very ... hot,” she murmured and turned away from the dance floor towards a window.
    The Duke followed her.
    Cassandra stood looking out into the darkness of the Park. She could just see the branches of the trees silhouetted against the sky.
    “You have never seen the Can-Can before?” the Duke asked.
    “No, no.”
    “You are surprised? It is not what you expected?”
    “No.”
    “I have the feeling you are shocked,” he said, his eyes on Cassandra’s averted face.
    ‘It ... seems somewhat ... abandoned,” she faltered.
    “I understand. I do not expect that such extravagances have yet reached the North.”
    “No.”
    Behind them the dancers had collapsed into chairs around the Ball-Room and even onto the floor itself, panting and exhausted. Now the Band changed from the exuberant music to a soft, dreamy Waltz.
    Cassandra looked at the Duke expecting him to invite her once again onto the floor, when a voice beside her said:
    “You promised me a dance, pretty lady!”
    She glanced up and saw Lord Carwen standing beside them.
    “I hope Varro has been entertaining you,” Lord Carwen said, “while I was regretfully too busy to do so.”
    “He has been very kind,” Cassandra murmured.
    “And now I must see if I can equal or even excel his kindness,” Lord Carwen said.
    He drew Cassandra into his arms and they began to dance.
    She realised that he was holding her too closely and too tightly. When she tried to move a little further away from him, he merely laughed down at her.
    “You are very lovely, Sandra.”
    She felt herself stiffen at his familiar use of her Christian name, then told herself it was out of character.
    “You have a lovely house, My Lord.”
    “I am not interested in my house, but in the loveliest person in it,” he replied. “Lily Langtry tells me you have just come to London. You must allow me to show you some of the amusements.”
    “Thank you,” Cassandra answered, “but I am afraid I shall be very busy