kissed her hand as she made her way slowly towards the ballroom. Twice she turned back, aware that David was following, then she was surrounded by a chattering party of people. David caught the arm of his closest friend, Captain Freddy Carlton.
‘Freddy, who is she, who is she?’
Freddy laughed, raised his eyebrows.
‘Not for you, old chap, she’s already taken, that is Lady Primrose Boyd-Carpenter.’
‘Introduce me, you have to introduce me, I’m in love.’
Freddy beamed, his round, good-natured face glowed above his solid frame.
‘So am I, and I was there before you, she’s mine, so don’t you dare move in. I’ve been after her for months.’
David leaned against the wall, watching Freddy, full of himself, easing his way through the crowd to Lady Primrose’s side. She turned her heart-shaped, perfect face to smile up at Freddy, then stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, slipping his hand through his arm. David could have sworn she flicked a knowing look at him as she began to introduce Freddy to her party of friends. The titles rolled, Lady this, the Honourable that, and again David could have sworn that her wicked, twinkling smile was for him alone. He was besotted.
Captain Ridgely, already flushed with champagne, breezed up to David. ‘Lovely little thing, isn’t she, but I’m here to tell you it’s a kiss on the cheek from that quarter. Place your hand on that type of gel’s knee and all hell gets let loose.’
David pointed towards Lady Primrose, ‘Line me up there, Ridgely, and you’ll be my friend for life.’
Ridgely snorted. ‘You must be joking, that’s Lady Primmy, old boy, her family owns most of the mines in these parts. Besides, Freddy Carlton’s got a pash for her, look at the drooling idiot. Her family no doubt already has it arranged, ya know, titles and money always marry each other … you, having neither, don’t stand a chance … oh, I say, this is more my line, look what’s hovering yonder.’
David turned to see poor Evelyne standing awkwardly at the powder-room door. Angry at Ridgely’s insinuation that Lady Primrose wouldn’t even consider him, he snapped.
‘That’s unfortunately with me, some wretched charge of my aunt’s, if you want her, for goodness’ sake take her …’
At that moment a fuzzy blonde swept into Ridgely’s arms and demanded a dance. He departed, giving David a lewd wink.
‘Another time, what?’
David sighed and walked across to Evelyne. Begrudgingly, he gave her his arm and led her towards the ballroom.
The next disaster was the dancing. It had never occurred to Evelyne that at this sort of dance they didn’t do jigs, and gallop around like they did in the Salvation Army Hall. David led her to a small couch and told her to sit there while he fetched her a glass of champagne. He then disappeared into the throng of dancers. Most of the young men were in uniform, and everyone seemed to know everyone else, calling out, waving, and whizzing past on the dance floor.
Evelyne sat waiting, looking and waiting, and eventually David came back to her side with champagne in a delicate, fluted glass.
‘Don’t gulp it, Flamehead, just sip.’
Lady Primrose danced past, giving David another flickering, darting glance, and he turned and gazed after her pink, floating figure. Then he moved away without another word, and Evelyne wrinkled her nose as the champagne bubbles fizzed, but she quite liked the taste. It was sharper than lemonade, and icy cold, and she drained the glass and sat twiddling the stem.
David danced past with Heather Warner. The girl was sweating, swathed in tulle and net, and while she looked like a powder puff, David made her feel like the most important girl at the dance. He leaned close, feeling her plump, jelly-like body quiver.
‘Tell me, Heather, that girl in pink, is it Lady Primrose? Only I am sure I know her family …’
Heather trod on his foot as she peered round, then blinked up into his handsome face.
‘Yes,
‘Freddy, who is she, who is she?’
Freddy laughed, raised his eyebrows.
‘Not for you, old chap, she’s already taken, that is Lady Primrose Boyd-Carpenter.’
‘Introduce me, you have to introduce me, I’m in love.’
Freddy beamed, his round, good-natured face glowed above his solid frame.
‘So am I, and I was there before you, she’s mine, so don’t you dare move in. I’ve been after her for months.’
David leaned against the wall, watching Freddy, full of himself, easing his way through the crowd to Lady Primrose’s side. She turned her heart-shaped, perfect face to smile up at Freddy, then stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, slipping his hand through his arm. David could have sworn she flicked a knowing look at him as she began to introduce Freddy to her party of friends. The titles rolled, Lady this, the Honourable that, and again David could have sworn that her wicked, twinkling smile was for him alone. He was besotted.
Captain Ridgely, already flushed with champagne, breezed up to David. ‘Lovely little thing, isn’t she, but I’m here to tell you it’s a kiss on the cheek from that quarter. Place your hand on that type of gel’s knee and all hell gets let loose.’
David pointed towards Lady Primrose, ‘Line me up there, Ridgely, and you’ll be my friend for life.’
Ridgely snorted. ‘You must be joking, that’s Lady Primmy, old boy, her family owns most of the mines in these parts. Besides, Freddy Carlton’s got a pash for her, look at the drooling idiot. Her family no doubt already has it arranged, ya know, titles and money always marry each other … you, having neither, don’t stand a chance … oh, I say, this is more my line, look what’s hovering yonder.’
David turned to see poor Evelyne standing awkwardly at the powder-room door. Angry at Ridgely’s insinuation that Lady Primrose wouldn’t even consider him, he snapped.
‘That’s unfortunately with me, some wretched charge of my aunt’s, if you want her, for goodness’ sake take her …’
At that moment a fuzzy blonde swept into Ridgely’s arms and demanded a dance. He departed, giving David a lewd wink.
‘Another time, what?’
David sighed and walked across to Evelyne. Begrudgingly, he gave her his arm and led her towards the ballroom.
The next disaster was the dancing. It had never occurred to Evelyne that at this sort of dance they didn’t do jigs, and gallop around like they did in the Salvation Army Hall. David led her to a small couch and told her to sit there while he fetched her a glass of champagne. He then disappeared into the throng of dancers. Most of the young men were in uniform, and everyone seemed to know everyone else, calling out, waving, and whizzing past on the dance floor.
Evelyne sat waiting, looking and waiting, and eventually David came back to her side with champagne in a delicate, fluted glass.
‘Don’t gulp it, Flamehead, just sip.’
Lady Primrose danced past, giving David another flickering, darting glance, and he turned and gazed after her pink, floating figure. Then he moved away without another word, and Evelyne wrinkled her nose as the champagne bubbles fizzed, but she quite liked the taste. It was sharper than lemonade, and icy cold, and she drained the glass and sat twiddling the stem.
David danced past with Heather Warner. The girl was sweating, swathed in tulle and net, and while she looked like a powder puff, David made her feel like the most important girl at the dance. He leaned close, feeling her plump, jelly-like body quiver.
‘Tell me, Heather, that girl in pink, is it Lady Primrose? Only I am sure I know her family …’
Heather trod on his foot as she peered round, then blinked up into his handsome face.
‘Yes,
Similar Books
