Accidental Engagement by Cally Green Page B

this afternoon.’
    It was. The crêpe-de-chine was lovely, but the primrose silk, with its cowl back - luckily her bruises were mainly on her arms and legs - was exactly right.
    ‘Don’t go away!’ she said, closing the door and quickly slipping into the silk. It felt deliciously cool against her skin. With a quick glance in the mirror to check that her hair was smooth she opened the door again.
    ‘Wow!’
    She laughed. ‘You’re flattering me.’
    But there was no flattery in his eyes, only admiration. ‘Turn round.’
    She obeyed, holding her arms out wide to reveal the expert cut of the dress.
    ‘Will I do?’ she asked.
    ‘You’ll more than do.’ And if you were really my fiancée , he thought with a sudden surge of desire, we wouldn’t be going to the party. We’d definitely be staying at home .
     
    Anna was glowing when they pulled up outside Serena’s house. Mark’s admiration had given her confidence, and walking into the party on his arm was exhilarating. Every woman’s head turned to watch him walk past, and Anna wouldn’t have been human if she hadn’t enjoyed it.
    ‘Ah! There you are!’ Serena came towards them as they went up the sweeping stone steps and in at the open door. She welcomed Anna with apparent warmth and charm, before reaching up and kissing Mark on the cheek. ‘An old friend’s privilege,' she said archly to Anna. ‘I’m sure you won’t begrudge me just one kiss.’
    ‘Not at all,’ said Anna, pushing down her jealousy and refusing to rise to Serena’s bait.
    ‘Good.’ Serena’s look was smug as she tucked her hand under Mark’s arm, whilst still addressing Anna. Making a couple of her and Mark, Anna realised, and an outsider of Anna – or, at least, trying to. ‘Now, you must let me introduce you to everyone. They are all simply dying to meet you. And, of course, to see the ring.
    Startled by Serena’s remark, Anna glanced down at her finger. The ring. Of course. Everyone would be dying to see the ring. But there was no ring.
    It was one of the things she had been meaning to ask Mark about, but being unsure of his moods she had not yet voiced the question. There was a mark on her finger where the ring should have been, a white band where her suntan did not reach, but no sign of the ring itself.
    ‘They’ll be disappointed in that,’ said Mark smoothly, protecting Anna from Serena’s malice. ‘It’s being repaired,’ he said with a strangely expressionless face.
    Anna was eager to ask him more about the ring, but this was not the time or the place to go into it. P articularly as Serena was likely to make some disparaging remark
    ‘Damn bad luck, your car crash,’ said a whiskery old gentleman, rescuing Anna from Serena’s further attentions. ‘Emmy’s written to the council about that bend three times to my certain knowledge. Still, as long as it’s only the ring that was damaged. It could have been a lot worse, my dear.’ He gave her a twinkly smile. ‘I’m Mr Leverington, Serena’s father. I’m very pleased to meet you.’
    ‘And I’m pleased to meet you,’ Anna returned with a feeling of relief. It seemed there was one person at the party, besides Mark, who was willing to be a friend.
    ‘But Serena’s right, my dear, they’re all wanting to meet you. Why don’t you let me take you in?’ Offering her his arm with old-fashioned courtesy - an action which gracefully covered his daughter’s bad-mannered display - he led her into the drawing-room. There was a drop in the level of conversation as the guests, about thirty in all, turned to look at Anna, and then she was claimed by Mark’s friends.
     
    ‘Are you surviving?’ asked Mark, just over an hour later, when he finally found Anna again. It had been impossible to remain with her all the time, but from what he had seen she had coped perfectly with all the attention.
    ‘Just about!’ she said. ‘They seem a nice crowd.’
    ‘They are, by and large. And they like you.’
    She was