parted, but still she made no sound, and her eyes
remained unblinking as a remote tightening sensation
spread throughout her body, engulfing her in feelings she
couldn’t begin to recognize.
Beside her, her father, though he was making a pretence of
talking to Solange, was quite aware of his daughter’s confusion.
Then suddenly Louis was mere too, taking his wife by
the arm and leading her away, almost as if he knew that Beavis
and Claudine needed this moment to themselves. Claudine
looked at her father, still too shaken to find her voice.
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ he said.
‘But why? Why did you… ?’
‘Claudine,’ he interrupted, ‘I have, from the start, made it
clear to you that the decision is yours. You have, of course,
put yourself in an extremely difficult position by letting
everyone know why you are here. However, should you …’
‘But he’s so … Oh, dear God, Papa.’
Beavis looked across the room with a grim smile. Then
turning back to her, he said, ‘You will, of course, meet him.’
It was the closest to an order she had ever heard him give.
It made her feel dizzy, and it brought, too, a suffocating
sense of betrayal. But worse was the feeling that she was
suddenly a stranger to herself; new sensations were confusing
her, frightening her almost. Then, as though they had a
will of their own, she found her eyes moving back to Francois. He was talking now to Anton Veronne, a man Claudine had always considered handsome. Yet strangely,
beside Francois Anton seemed almost insignificant. Then
she realized that so too did all the men around him.
Again she looked at Francois, and this time her mouth
dried with shock. He was looking at her, and his expression
made her want to step behind her father, to have him protect
her from such malevolence. But sensing her intention,
Beavis moved away into the crowd, leaving her still bound by
that invidious gaze.
Claudine blinked. It was inconceivable that someone
could have such an effect on her - but then she had never
before met anyone who emanated such power. She was
afraid, though she didn’t know why, and yet she was unable
to wrest her eyes from his. In the end, Francois was the first
to turn away, but as he released her eyes, instead of being
relieved she felt as though she had been cast adrift, left to
drown in her own internal confusion, and without realizing
what she was doing she found her arms starting to move
from her sides as if they were seeking something to save her.
‘It’s all right, cherie, I’m here.’
Claudine spun round to find Celine standing beside her
with a glass of brandy. ‘Drink it,’ she insisted. ‘You’ve had a
shock, you need something.’
‘A shock?’
‘Don’t pretend, Claudine, I saw your face.’
Unthinkingly Claudine took the brandy and sipped it.
‘Did you see the way he looked at me, Tante Celine?’ she
whispered. ‘It was as if he hated me.’
Celine smiled. ‘No, cherie, he doesn’t hate you. It is simply
the way he looks. Which, I take it, is nothing like what you
imagined.’
Already beginning to realize how ridiculous she had
made herself, and acutely aware of the curious glances
being thrown in her direction, Claudine forced herself to
smile. To her surprise, this actually made her feel better and
suddenly her indomitable sense of humour broke free
of the lingering pinions of shock, so that she actually
laughed aloud at her melodramatic reaction to her first sight
of the man she had vowed to marry. ‘Never mind,’ she said,
giving Celine an impulsive hug. ‘Anyway, now I shall go and
meet him.’
But to her consternation, he seemed to have disappeared.
‘What an infuriating man,’ she muttered. And then her
heart gave a monstrous lurch as a voice behind her said,
‘Would you be looking for me, by any chance?’
With every pulse hammering in her body, Claudine
turned around, and steeling herself, lifted her head
remained unblinking as a remote tightening sensation
spread throughout her body, engulfing her in feelings she
couldn’t begin to recognize.
Beside her, her father, though he was making a pretence of
talking to Solange, was quite aware of his daughter’s confusion.
Then suddenly Louis was mere too, taking his wife by
the arm and leading her away, almost as if he knew that Beavis
and Claudine needed this moment to themselves. Claudine
looked at her father, still too shaken to find her voice.
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ he said.
‘But why? Why did you… ?’
‘Claudine,’ he interrupted, ‘I have, from the start, made it
clear to you that the decision is yours. You have, of course,
put yourself in an extremely difficult position by letting
everyone know why you are here. However, should you …’
‘But he’s so … Oh, dear God, Papa.’
Beavis looked across the room with a grim smile. Then
turning back to her, he said, ‘You will, of course, meet him.’
It was the closest to an order she had ever heard him give.
It made her feel dizzy, and it brought, too, a suffocating
sense of betrayal. But worse was the feeling that she was
suddenly a stranger to herself; new sensations were confusing
her, frightening her almost. Then, as though they had a
will of their own, she found her eyes moving back to Francois. He was talking now to Anton Veronne, a man Claudine had always considered handsome. Yet strangely,
beside Francois Anton seemed almost insignificant. Then
she realized that so too did all the men around him.
Again she looked at Francois, and this time her mouth
dried with shock. He was looking at her, and his expression
made her want to step behind her father, to have him protect
her from such malevolence. But sensing her intention,
Beavis moved away into the crowd, leaving her still bound by
that invidious gaze.
Claudine blinked. It was inconceivable that someone
could have such an effect on her - but then she had never
before met anyone who emanated such power. She was
afraid, though she didn’t know why, and yet she was unable
to wrest her eyes from his. In the end, Francois was the first
to turn away, but as he released her eyes, instead of being
relieved she felt as though she had been cast adrift, left to
drown in her own internal confusion, and without realizing
what she was doing she found her arms starting to move
from her sides as if they were seeking something to save her.
‘It’s all right, cherie, I’m here.’
Claudine spun round to find Celine standing beside her
with a glass of brandy. ‘Drink it,’ she insisted. ‘You’ve had a
shock, you need something.’
‘A shock?’
‘Don’t pretend, Claudine, I saw your face.’
Unthinkingly Claudine took the brandy and sipped it.
‘Did you see the way he looked at me, Tante Celine?’ she
whispered. ‘It was as if he hated me.’
Celine smiled. ‘No, cherie, he doesn’t hate you. It is simply
the way he looks. Which, I take it, is nothing like what you
imagined.’
Already beginning to realize how ridiculous she had
made herself, and acutely aware of the curious glances
being thrown in her direction, Claudine forced herself to
smile. To her surprise, this actually made her feel better and
suddenly her indomitable sense of humour broke free
of the lingering pinions of shock, so that she actually
laughed aloud at her melodramatic reaction to her first sight
of the man she had vowed to marry. ‘Never mind,’ she said,
giving Celine an impulsive hug. ‘Anyway, now I shall go and
meet him.’
But to her consternation, he seemed to have disappeared.
‘What an infuriating man,’ she muttered. And then her
heart gave a monstrous lurch as a voice behind her said,
‘Would you be looking for me, by any chance?’
With every pulse hammering in her body, Claudine
turned around, and steeling herself, lifted her head
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