Every window in the house blazed with light and the sound of music and laughter drifted down to them from a terrace at
second-floor level. Annabel’s dance card was almost full already, but at Cynthia’s insistence, she had deliberately left a few lines unfilled. ‘Just in case a young man comes
along with whom you
ought
to dance.’
Receiving a slight nod of approval from her chaperone, Annabel inclined her head and began to write his name on her card.
‘Perhaps I might claim the supper dance?’
Annabel’s eyes widened. She believed that the supper dance, where the partners stayed together throughout the meal, was regarded as something special. It meant that the young man had
serious intentions.
‘I – I think we may be going on to another ball,’ Annabel stammered, for the moment unsure of what was the correct thing to do. Smoothly, Cynthia stepped in as Annabel glanced
at her for guidance.
‘Perhaps Lord Fairfield is heading in the same direction.’ She raised her well-shaped eyebrows and James Lyndon asked, ‘To Lady Fortesque’s?’ Cynthia nodded and
they smiled at each other before she turned to Annabel and advised, ‘One dance here with his lordship and then he may claim the dance just before the buffet is served at Lady
Fortesque’s.’
James Lyndon proved to be an excellent dancer. He held her fingers lightly and guided her through the steps and when the music began for the next dance – a waltz – he put his arm
around her waist and whirled her away before the gentleman, who should have been her partner for this dance, could claim her.
‘We must take leave of our hostess,’ Cynthia said, when the dance came to an end. ‘It’s time we were moving on.’ She turned to James Lyndon. ‘My lord, you may
travel with us, if you so wish.’
James gave a little bow. ‘It will be my pleasure.’
He was courtesy personified, Annabel thought, and found herself charmed not only by his handsome looks but also by his manners and his attentiveness to them both.
Lady Fortesque’s ball was a far grander one than the first two they had attended that evening, but their hostess was charming and effervescent, seeming not to stand on ceremony. She was an
older woman, in her late fifties, Annabel surmised, and no doubt the benefit of age allowed her to break the rules of strict etiquette if she so wished. She greeted both Cynthia and James with
outstretched arms. ‘My dears, how wonderful to see you both, and James, I was so very sorry to hear of your brother’s untimely death. I haven’t seen you since then, have I? Losing
both your father and brother within two years must have put a great strain on all your family. And particularly on you, my dear boy, since you can’t have expected ever to inherit the title
and all the responsibilities that go with it. Will you be leaving the Army to run your estate now?’
James bowed low over the woman’s hand and murmured a greeting, adding, ‘Nothing has been decided yet, but I hope not. I love the Army life and I have a good bailiff to manage the
estate. And, of course, my mother and my sister are always on hand.’
‘Of course, and if you are blessed with good tenants, an estate almost runs itself.’ Then she turned her attention to Annabel. ‘And this must be your protégée,
Cynthia. My dear, you are most welcome.’ To Annabel’s surprise Lady Fortesque kissed her on both cheeks and then linked her arm through hers. ‘Now, let us see what eligible young
men I can introduce you to.’
But it seemed that James Lyndon had other ideas about her meeting and dancing with other young men. When Lady Fortesque had finished parading her around the room and was called away to greet
other guests arriving, she found the earl at her elbow.
‘May I sign your card?’ he murmured in her ear and when she handed it to him, he wrote his name across all the dances so that there were no spaces left for anyone else. Annabel
looked around for Cynthia,
second-floor level. Annabel’s dance card was almost full already, but at Cynthia’s insistence, she had deliberately left a few lines unfilled. ‘Just in case a young man comes
along with whom you
ought
to dance.’
Receiving a slight nod of approval from her chaperone, Annabel inclined her head and began to write his name on her card.
‘Perhaps I might claim the supper dance?’
Annabel’s eyes widened. She believed that the supper dance, where the partners stayed together throughout the meal, was regarded as something special. It meant that the young man had
serious intentions.
‘I – I think we may be going on to another ball,’ Annabel stammered, for the moment unsure of what was the correct thing to do. Smoothly, Cynthia stepped in as Annabel glanced
at her for guidance.
‘Perhaps Lord Fairfield is heading in the same direction.’ She raised her well-shaped eyebrows and James Lyndon asked, ‘To Lady Fortesque’s?’ Cynthia nodded and
they smiled at each other before she turned to Annabel and advised, ‘One dance here with his lordship and then he may claim the dance just before the buffet is served at Lady
Fortesque’s.’
James Lyndon proved to be an excellent dancer. He held her fingers lightly and guided her through the steps and when the music began for the next dance – a waltz – he put his arm
around her waist and whirled her away before the gentleman, who should have been her partner for this dance, could claim her.
‘We must take leave of our hostess,’ Cynthia said, when the dance came to an end. ‘It’s time we were moving on.’ She turned to James Lyndon. ‘My lord, you may
travel with us, if you so wish.’
James gave a little bow. ‘It will be my pleasure.’
He was courtesy personified, Annabel thought, and found herself charmed not only by his handsome looks but also by his manners and his attentiveness to them both.
Lady Fortesque’s ball was a far grander one than the first two they had attended that evening, but their hostess was charming and effervescent, seeming not to stand on ceremony. She was an
older woman, in her late fifties, Annabel surmised, and no doubt the benefit of age allowed her to break the rules of strict etiquette if she so wished. She greeted both Cynthia and James with
outstretched arms. ‘My dears, how wonderful to see you both, and James, I was so very sorry to hear of your brother’s untimely death. I haven’t seen you since then, have I? Losing
both your father and brother within two years must have put a great strain on all your family. And particularly on you, my dear boy, since you can’t have expected ever to inherit the title
and all the responsibilities that go with it. Will you be leaving the Army to run your estate now?’
James bowed low over the woman’s hand and murmured a greeting, adding, ‘Nothing has been decided yet, but I hope not. I love the Army life and I have a good bailiff to manage the
estate. And, of course, my mother and my sister are always on hand.’
‘Of course, and if you are blessed with good tenants, an estate almost runs itself.’ Then she turned her attention to Annabel. ‘And this must be your protégée,
Cynthia. My dear, you are most welcome.’ To Annabel’s surprise Lady Fortesque kissed her on both cheeks and then linked her arm through hers. ‘Now, let us see what eligible young
men I can introduce you to.’
But it seemed that James Lyndon had other ideas about her meeting and dancing with other young men. When Lady Fortesque had finished parading her around the room and was called away to greet
other guests arriving, she found the earl at her elbow.
‘May I sign your card?’ he murmured in her ear and when she handed it to him, he wrote his name across all the dances so that there were no spaces left for anyone else. Annabel
looked around for Cynthia,
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