Page 153 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

She laughed. ‘You are absurd! But it’s nice to see a friendly face here.’

‘Aren’t all your neighbours friendly?’

‘Oh, it isn’t that. It’s just that I’m not very good at balls, so I always feel out of my place.’

‘Well, ma’am, you look very much the part,’ he said, with a bow, ‘so if you don’t tell anyone, they won’t know. May I solicit the honour of a dance? If you have any left.’

‘You’re the first person who’s asked me, so you can have your pick.’

‘Then I’ll take the first, and keep dancing with you until I’m dragged away,’ he said, with a grin.

Rachel had been talking all this time with Jervis, in low, intimate tones. Bentham now glanced at them, and said to Alice quietly, ‘I’m afraid my brother is trespassing on someone else’s estate again. Is the fiancé not here?’

‘He is supposed to be coming, but he was at the office this morning so perhaps he’s been delayed.’

‘Then I hope for his sake he’s hurrying, and gets here soon,’ Bentham said.

After her dances with Bentham, Alice was surprised and a little gratified to be asked by several other men, and since she enjoyed the activity of dancing, being an energetic sort of girl, she was pleased to be occupied on the dance-floor. She tried to keep an eye on Rachel, but caught only glimpses of her in the crush. She had a variety of partners, but Alice saw her several times with Jervis Farocean.

A dance had just finished when she saw Angus standing in the doorway, looking about. She thanked her latest partner, excused herself and hurried over to him. ‘Angus! I’m so glad you came. You’re very late.’

‘I had to go up to the Castle first to drop my luggage and change,’ he said. ‘And there was a lot to do, closing the office for three days, so I was late starting out. Is Rachel here?’

‘Of course. She’s longing to see you.’

He looked at her oddly. ‘Is she? Strange that you spotted me straight away and she didn’t.’

‘I just happened to be looking this way,’ she said. ‘Come on, let’s go and find her, before another dance starts.’

It was unfortunate that when they came upon Rachel, she was with Jervis, having just finished a dance with him, and they had their heads together, the drooping marabou feathers on her headpiece touching his cheek as they whispered.

She straightened quickly as she saw Angus, and her cheeks reddened, but she smiled and came straight to him, her hand out. ‘Oh, Angus, you managed to get here!’

‘Yes. Are you disappointed?’ he said.

Rachel bit her lip. ‘What on earth do you mean? Of course not. I’ve been hoping and hoping you’d come.’

Angus took the hand she had extended and used it to turn her away from her former partner. ‘I have to talk to you privately,’ he said, and drew her away.

Jervis watched them go, caught Alice’s eye and shrugged. ‘So that’s the fiancé.’

She gave him a stern look. ‘You knew she was engaged.’

‘So did she,’ he retorted.

‘Well, I should keep out of the way if I were you. Angus is very strong.’ She eyed Jervis, who was more the willowy sort. A Town beau, where Angus had been brought up to strenuous activities on wild moorlands.

He laughed, showing admirable teeth, and shaking his beautifully cut, glossy locks. ‘You don’t suppose I’m going to engage in fisticuffs with him? Or pistols at dawn? This is 1905, not 1805!’

‘You shouldn’t have flirted with her,’ Alice said reproachfully.

He shrugged. ‘I have a dance free now, Lady Alice. Might I persuade you to take a turn with me? If you’re not promised to my clod-hopping brother.’

‘I wouldn’t dance with you even if I wasn’t,’ Alice said, and marched away as determinedly as dancing shoes and a gown with a train allowed.

Angus had meant to be angry with Rachel, but when he found a quiet corner and turned to face her, he saw that there were tears in her eyes and his rage slipped away like water. ‘What is it, darling? Don’t cry. Did that oaf say something to you?’

‘No, it’s not that,’ Rachel said, fumbling out her handkerchief. ‘It’s just that you looked so angry, I was afraid.’