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105room the other way, and, as Kate Swift remarked the while wrinkling her nose, there'd be some cleaning up in the morning in that department, if she knew anything. And not only in the men's room either, for from her experience some of the female gentry weren't as clean as pigs. But let them all away now to that dining-room and then make sure what was left on those tables would find its way back to the kitchen . . .The carpets had been taken up in the hall and from the long drawing-room, and Jimmy Fawcett and Ron Yarrow, the two stablemen, had waxed and bumpered the floor until it shone like glass, so much so that some people were finding it a little dangerous to walk over, especially those ladies wearing the new-fashioned spider heels. But once the dancing started those who could not claim to be dancers of any merit found it easy to glide to the beat of the music, even, in some instances, against it, all, however, with very great enjoyment, as the laughter, Chatter, and noise proclaimed.They had danced mazurkas, minuets, the more boisterous lancers, and then an uproarious attempt at a Scottish reel. There followed

106 a natural and appreciated interval during which more drink and dishes of light sweetmeats were handed round; and more visits made to the ladies' room, and to the gentlemen's, but with less delicacy now than before, for by this time most of the faces were flushed and many stomachs distended.It was when the leader of the quartet announced that his gentlemen were about to render a waltz by the famous Austrian composer Johann Strauss that Lionel led his future bride on to the floor; and once again Douglas came to Bridget, who was sitting in a cane chair in an alcove near the last window in the drawing-room part of the temporary ballroom. Smiling, he bowed to her, saying, 'Dare I ask you to give me the pleasure of again treading on your toes?'Bridget now laughed outright; then answering in the same vein, she said,

'Sir, I regret I must deprive you of that pleasure for I have need of my feet. But I would consider it a favour if you would sit with me for a while and we could continue the conversation that the last interval so abruptly interrupted.'He, too, laughed outright when, pulling a 107chair forward from the open doors of the conservatory leading out of the drawingroom, he went to place it next to hers but found it wouldn't fit. And when it protruded almost on to the floor he pushed it to one side; then, impulsively taking her hand, he said, 'Come on. Come this way,' and she found herself being drawn round a giggling, waltzing couple and into the conservatory.The long, narrow, glass-covered room, unlike the main rooms that were lit by gas chandeliers, was illuminated by a number of oil lamps dotted here and there amid the plants, ferns, and other greenery that decorated the slatted shelves.At the far end, from which the sound of giggles and laughter was coming, was a group of chattering elderly ladies, all furiously fanning themselves; and so, still holding her hand he muttered, 'We won't join that company, but'-he pointed-'there's a seat behind here.' And the next moment he had drawn her behind an enormous potted palm.She could just make out a long wooden bench, and when they both dropped on to it she peered at him, then put her head backIt

108and once again gave way to a burst of laughter.This had been a most surprising evening. From early morning she had been dreading it. She had woken early with a most uneasy feeling on her. In any case it would have highlighted, as it were, the nearness of the impending separation from Victoria, for they had been like sisters, loving caring sisters, and so she would be feeling unhappy; but there was something else worrying her, something on which she couldn't put a finger. Perhaps it was the haste that surrounded this whole business; he had seemed to sweep Victoria off her feet. But then Victoria was only too pleased to be swept off her feet. Her love for this man was, in a way, painful to watch; it was a love, she did not doubt, that would be enduring. She was, in a way, utterly besotted with him. But was he besotted with her? And this she had continually asked herself until she had to admit that she believed he was in love with her. But to what extent?Much against her will she had let Victoria persuade her to buy a new ball gown, but she had held out firmly against pinks, blues, and

109greens and plumped for a pale grey; although the style wasn't one she would have chosen, as it had a low neckline and even exposed some part of her shoulders, and a skirt which she had considered to be much too voluminous but which she found was quite flat compared with the gowns of most of the ladies present, both young and old. Her changed appearance, she realized, had been a surprise to the head of the household, but still William Filmore's welcome had not been effusive, although it could be said to have been polite: whereas Victoria's hand was kissed, hers was shaken and only by the tips of her fingers.But since finding herself, at dinner, seated next to Douglas Filmore, she had, in a strange way, begun to enjoy herself, for she found that this young man had a quiet sense of humour, and it wasn't without a caustic streak when pointing out some foible of one or other of the guests. She had noticed, too, he did not drink much at dinner: not one of his three wine glasses had been refilled.She'd had a number of dances during the evening, three being with the young man sitting next to her and one with his brother.

110Lionel, she found, was a much better dancer than Douglas, but not as entertaining a partner.

Conversation, too, had been spasmodic and made up of little more than two-syllable words: Was she enjoying herself?Yes, thank you.Would she miss Victoria very much?Of course.Would she continue to live at Meadow House?Just for part of the time, when she wanted to attend to business.Did she prefer the South Shields house?Yes, she preferred the South Shields house.Was it necessary to have two houses to carry on the businesses?She completed a number of dance steps before answering this question while looking him in the face: Yes, she did consider it necessary.Why?And to this she had given the simple answer: Because my father thought it necessary . . .'What are you laughing at? Come on, tell me.'

IllBefore answering him, she took a laced handkerchief from her beaded vanity bag and dabbed her eyes with it; then she said, 'Because it's the first time I've been pulled behind a palm by a young man.* Now his head, too, was back and their mghter joined, and as his ebbed away he, peered at her in the dim light, saying, [You know, you're as refreshing as spring water.'She did not blush, nor did she come out with some meaningless platitude of denial, but what she did say and quite seriously was, [You are a very kind man, different from your brother and your father.'Nor did he make any protest against this statement; instead, he confirmed it by saying, 'Oh yes, I'm well aware of that. I've always been well aware of it, as far as I can remember: I didn't look like Lionel, I didn't act like Lionel, I had none of Lionel's graces. I was, compared with his stature, only half a man. Yet, you know, this never worried me because I didn't want to be like Lionel, or like my father. And, looking back down our family tree, there was no one of them that I wanted to be like. I was an oddity. Yet I 112knew I liked what I was. Do you think that sounds like the essence of arrogance?'She shook her head slightly, then said, 'No. It's good to recognize what you are.''You recognized what you were a long time ago, didn't you?''Well'-she looked away from him and into the palm leaves and the strips of light coming through them. The music had stopped now but the chatter and laughter was louder-'I can't say that I went in for self-analysis; I just knew what I wanted to do; but more so I knew what I didn't want to do, and that was spend my time in dressing up and sitting for hours in someone else's drawing-room indulging in small chat and gossip, or going into serious debate on the changing fashions, whether your waist should be pushed up under your bust or dragged down onto the top of your hips, all depending, of course, on the tightness of your corsets.'She now thrust her hand over her mouth and bent forward to still her gurgling, while he once again allowed his head to fall back, though making little sound with his laughter even while his body was shaking, because

113now they were aware of others coming into the conservatory.But presently, he caught at her hand and, leaning towards her, he said, 'We may not get the chance again to have a tete-a-tete so I will say to you now, that I've enjoyed this evening solely because of your company.'His face was quite near and she smiled into it as she said in a low voice, 'I can return the compliment and tell you that I had hated the thought of this evening, but that you have made it a most enjoyable one for me too.'His smile widened as he whispered, 'You even enjoyed my dancing?'The smile going from her face now, she shook her head, saying quite primly, 'No, sir; do you expect me to lie? your dancing is atrocious. If it wasn't that my eyesight tells me that you have only two feet I would be led to believe you have an odd one that trips you up at times.'When he actually pushed her on the arm and she pretended to fall sideways on the floor, they were once again shaking with their mirth. Controlling himself, he pointed through the palm leaves, beyond which was

114coming raucous laughter and spluttering, caused no doubt by some joke. And he made a wild gesture with his hand indicating that they shouldn't go out until the revellers moved on. And so they sat on the form side by side for almost ten minutes, and not a whispered word did they exchange. To Bridget, it was as if they were sitting in utter silence, a silence in which she was experiencing enjoyment. Since losing the companionship of her father she had felt unable to talk to anyone as she had done tonight to this kind man whom she knew to be two years older than herself, yet who looked so much younger, but talked and acted as her father might have done.The announcement of another dance broke up the raucous group beyond the palm and there followed the rustle of gowns indicating that the ladies from the far end of the conservatory were also returning to the hall. Turning to Bridget now, Douglas said, 'Would you like to go, I mean, really try again?''Not particularly. I'd rather sit here, because there is something I'd like to ask you. And you have made it very easy for me. It is

115just this. Do you think your brother really loves Victoria?*There was the slightest pause before Douglas answered, but with emphasis, 'Oh, yes. Yes. Apart from everything else, I'm sure he does. But who could resist loving her? She is a very beautiful girl.'Bridget now took her question a step further by asking, 'Do you think it's only beautiful girls who can be loved?''Oh, no, no. But what I meant was, in his case , . . well, she is someone who would fbe very easy to love. Of course, I am well aware that beauty has only a limited time, unlike character that weathers the years and doesn't fade . . , blossoms, rather.'*I am very fond of Victoria, you know. We I have been like sisters. In fact, much more. ;Both being without mothers, in a way we acted as substitutes, one for the other.''Hello, there.' The voice brought their heads round to look into the palm leaves, for it was as if someone were addressing them from the other side.

But then the voice went on thick and fuddled, 'Standing this one out, are you?'When there was no answer to this, the

116voice continued, 'You shouldn't have let her dance with Father. He's rocking on his feet.''He shouldn't have drunk so much.'At the sound of this voice Douglas cast a quick glance at Bridget; but she was staring into the palm leaves.'He drinks very little, does the old man; 'tis rheumatism, his knees buckle.''He shouldn't dance then.''Felt he had to do his duty. You're lucky, you know, beautiful girl, beautiful.''I'm . . .

I'm glad you think so.''Oh, I do, I do. An' what's more, I think you've turned up trumps. You're a good sort. Changed my opinion. Yes, yes, I have. Don't mind me saying so, changed my opinion.''Very kind of you, very kind of you, I'm sure.''Well, as I said to the old man, 'tis cornmon knowledge that you're not rolling in it, and here you're gona marry a girl who hasn't a penny.'Only the music could be heard now and the shuffling of feet and the dimmed laughter and in it Douglas's head was once again turned towards Bridget. Now she was looking back at him. Then when Douglas heard 117his brother's voice come as a low hiss through the leaves, saying, 'What did you say?9'What d'you mean, what did I say? Well, just that . . . well, 'tis good of you to pick her up. Love match. Yes, love match. Now if it had been Miss Brid . . . well, you would have been warm enough all right there.'What are you saying?''Nothing, man. Nothing. Well, Dad doing their business. And 'tis well known Miss Bridget took them in ... I mean her dad did. Penniless. They were penniless . . . Hi! Hi! Take your hands off me! You should have known. Well, everybody . . . knew, every . . . body . . .'When the palm swayed towards them Douglas pushed Bridget further along the form out of the way of the falling plant. Then he darted around to where Lionel was thrusting the drunken informant over the tub and onto the swaying plant, and with a surprising show of strength from his thin right arm he brought it up under his brother's wrists and so sent Lionel staggering back. Then pulling the gasping figure up-118wards from the palm, he said, 'Are you all right, Mr Kemp?'The man spluttered. 'All right? No, I'm not all right. He's . . . he's a bloody maniac . . . All I said was that she wasn't the one with the cash. Nice party this, attacked . . . Where's my father? I'm off out of here.' The man staggered towards the ballroom door, and Douglas turned to look at his brother, who had now gained some control of himself, and he said to him, almost cornmanded him, 'Pull yourself together!''Pull myself together?' The voice was like a hiss, 'Do you know what . . . ?*'Yes. Yes, I know what. I was sitting behind the palm. And do you know what, too?' Douglas's voice sank to a whisper. 'Miss Bridget was sitting there with me.'Lionel looked towards the end of the conservatory, then muttered, 'God!''Look, it's nearly over, the dance is finishing.

Go in there and make the next one the last; then they'll all go, and we can talk.''Talk?' Lionel leaned his face, looking unusually pale, closer to his brother's, saying, 'Talk? What is there to talk about? Did you hear him? She . . . she hasn't a penny. My