she was musing on what Lady Flavia had told her, a clumsy man standing in front of her stepped back, treading on the flounce of her dress and tearing it with an ominous ripping sound.
He was effusive in his apologies and Anna assured him, untruthfully, that no great harm had been done. Clumsy idiot! How annoying this was; but she always carried pins with her, and could easily repair the damage for now. Ah, there was Henrietta, just the person she needed. Since her hostess this evening was Henrietta's aunt, Henrietta might be supposed to know where she might go to pin up her dress. Henrietta pointed with a fan to the door at the far end of the room, and said. "There is a little room there, where you may sit and pin your flounce. Shall I ask my aunt to send a maid to you?"
Anna said that would not be necessary, and made her way with difficulty. for the room was crowded by now, and arrived at the door, the same one that Mr. Standish had slipped through.
It led out to a little circular hall, with two doors leading off it. One was ajar and the other was closed. She hesitated and then pushed the one that was slightly open a little further and peeped in to see if it was the room Henrietta had mentioned, and if it were empty.
It wasn't.
A man and woman were in there, locked in a fervent embrace upon a sofa that was the only furniture in the little chamber.
How shocking, how embarrassing, how terrible for her to catch them in such a situation. But no; neither the man nor woman was aware of her presence. Indeed at this angle they couldn't see her. She didn't want to be a voyeur, but she stood transfixed, for although the man had his back turned to her, she recognized the coat, the shoulders the back of the man's neck. It was Mr. Standish, his hand sliding inside the bodice of the woman's gown, his lips fastened on hers. Then he drew away and laughed as he tucked a fold of paper into her bosom, before he bent and kissed one white breast.
Anna retreated, breathing hard, her head in a whirl. Who was that woman? She had seen her before, but couldn't put a name to her. So much for Lady Flavia.
And for her? Was it such a surprise?
The answer came to her. No. A sudden calmness came over her, as she examined her feelings. She had imagined, no, had longed herself into being in love with Mr. Standish. He was attractive, extremely attractive, but why had she been taken in by his handsome looks, never pausing to make any reasonable assessment of his character?
He had flirted and flattered her, and she had been in the mood to fall in love. Had he asked her to marry her, she would have accepted him, and thank God it had never come to that. What she thought had been love was nothing more than hotness of the blood and a passing fancy.
Chastened, she took another deep breath, and fled back into the drawing room, anxious to lose herself in the throng before Mr. Standish and the woman came in.
The woman re-entered the room alone. Her colour was high, and she was fanning herself, with a beautiful fan, Anna noticed with half her attention. She was standing by Mama and said, almost brusquely, so that Lady Gosforth looked at her with some surprise, "Who is that woman? Did we not see her at the dressmaker, at Madame Girot's?"
Mama raised her face-à-main and looked across to where the woman was sipping a glass of wine. "The one in purple satin? That is Mrs. Fortescue, she is a most elegant creature, do not you think? She had a tragedy in her life; her first husband was sent to the guillotine in France , and she was lucky to escape with her life. But that was a while ago, and she has been married to Mr. Fortescue these four or five years. He is never in London , he is one of those men who prefers to stay in the country."
It was a long time before Anna got to sleep that night. She was tired after the rout and as soon as she got in, she said goodnight to her mother and took her candle upstairs to her bedchamber, where a sleepy maid waited to
He was effusive in his apologies and Anna assured him, untruthfully, that no great harm had been done. Clumsy idiot! How annoying this was; but she always carried pins with her, and could easily repair the damage for now. Ah, there was Henrietta, just the person she needed. Since her hostess this evening was Henrietta's aunt, Henrietta might be supposed to know where she might go to pin up her dress. Henrietta pointed with a fan to the door at the far end of the room, and said. "There is a little room there, where you may sit and pin your flounce. Shall I ask my aunt to send a maid to you?"
Anna said that would not be necessary, and made her way with difficulty. for the room was crowded by now, and arrived at the door, the same one that Mr. Standish had slipped through.
It led out to a little circular hall, with two doors leading off it. One was ajar and the other was closed. She hesitated and then pushed the one that was slightly open a little further and peeped in to see if it was the room Henrietta had mentioned, and if it were empty.
It wasn't.
A man and woman were in there, locked in a fervent embrace upon a sofa that was the only furniture in the little chamber.
How shocking, how embarrassing, how terrible for her to catch them in such a situation. But no; neither the man nor woman was aware of her presence. Indeed at this angle they couldn't see her. She didn't want to be a voyeur, but she stood transfixed, for although the man had his back turned to her, she recognized the coat, the shoulders the back of the man's neck. It was Mr. Standish, his hand sliding inside the bodice of the woman's gown, his lips fastened on hers. Then he drew away and laughed as he tucked a fold of paper into her bosom, before he bent and kissed one white breast.
Anna retreated, breathing hard, her head in a whirl. Who was that woman? She had seen her before, but couldn't put a name to her. So much for Lady Flavia.
And for her? Was it such a surprise?
The answer came to her. No. A sudden calmness came over her, as she examined her feelings. She had imagined, no, had longed herself into being in love with Mr. Standish. He was attractive, extremely attractive, but why had she been taken in by his handsome looks, never pausing to make any reasonable assessment of his character?
He had flirted and flattered her, and she had been in the mood to fall in love. Had he asked her to marry her, she would have accepted him, and thank God it had never come to that. What she thought had been love was nothing more than hotness of the blood and a passing fancy.
Chastened, she took another deep breath, and fled back into the drawing room, anxious to lose herself in the throng before Mr. Standish and the woman came in.
The woman re-entered the room alone. Her colour was high, and she was fanning herself, with a beautiful fan, Anna noticed with half her attention. She was standing by Mama and said, almost brusquely, so that Lady Gosforth looked at her with some surprise, "Who is that woman? Did we not see her at the dressmaker, at Madame Girot's?"
Mama raised her face-à-main and looked across to where the woman was sipping a glass of wine. "The one in purple satin? That is Mrs. Fortescue, she is a most elegant creature, do not you think? She had a tragedy in her life; her first husband was sent to the guillotine in France , and she was lucky to escape with her life. But that was a while ago, and she has been married to Mr. Fortescue these four or five years. He is never in London , he is one of those men who prefers to stay in the country."
It was a long time before Anna got to sleep that night. She was tired after the rout and as soon as she got in, she said goodnight to her mother and took her candle upstairs to her bedchamber, where a sleepy maid waited to
Similar Books
