Helen pauses self-consciously in the doorway of the long drawing room at Tawny House while a liveried manservant announces her.

‘Helen! Wonderful that you could make it.’ Harriet James glides forward, resplendent in berry red velvet and greets her guest warmly.

Helen allows herself to be kissed on the cheek. She glances behind her and raises an eyebrow. ‘A butler?’ she teases.

‘A little nonsense for the occasion.’ Harriet laughs and tucks her arm through Helen’s ‘Come and meet everyone.’

‘Am I late?’ Helen asks, grimacing slightly at the number of people already present

‘Goodness no, perfect timing’ Harriet smiles reassuringly. A waiter skims past bearing a tray. ‘Not just a butler, caterers too, the nearest I shall get to waiting on my guests tonight will be refereeing any squabbles’

‘Will there be any?’ Helen looks faintly worried.

‘None that can’t be sorted by quoting from Wisden’s’ she laughs softly. A group of guests standing close to the open fire parts to include them as they approach. ‘ Kester, you know, of course.’ Harriet says as she begins to introduce them, gently squeezing Helen’s arm as she feels her stiffen.

Helen nods, her eyes flickering briefly over his snowy white dress shirt, his fair hair freshly groomed and curling against its collar, the moiré of his black waistcoat catching the light…

‘Let me introduce you to Jeannie and Duncan Brown. I’d be lost without Jeannie as you know. This is Helen, Helen Marchant’

‘Hello Miss Marchant. My! You do look nice.’ Jeannie smiles.

Helen blinks and puts her hand to the plain silver torque at her throat. ‘Thank you. It’s Helen, please.’ she gives a slightly distracted smile in return.

‘How do.’ Duncan holds out his hand.

‘Nice to meet you.’

‘Simon and Jeremy you have already had the misfortune to meet.’ Harriet chuckles.

‘Helloooo!’ Simon greets Helen enthusiastically, grasping her by the shoulders and kissing both cheeks. ‘How marvellous to see you again. Jeremy, get the lady a drink!’

‘I..I’m fine at the moment, thank you.’ Helen stutters.

‘Cat got your tongue, Kester? Simon says archly, turning to where he stands at the back of the group.

Kester shakes his head in tiny movements, his eyes fixed on Helen, her hair loose and tumbling past her shoulders, the thin straps of her low-cut gown, the soft sheen of the peacock blue silk lightly shot with silver, shimmering…. moulding…. ‘No’ he steps forward ‘Glad you could come’ he says formally and with the lightest graze of his fingers against her hand, bends forward as if kissing her cheek. ‘Wow!’ he murmurs softly against her ear and straightens immediately. ‘Penny and Julian were hoping to see you again’ he resumes his formal tone.

Harriet leads Helen away. ‘That wasn’t too bad was it?’ she whispers.

‘N-no.’ Still blushing furiously, she smiles as Harriet introduces her to more guests.

Harriet looks back at Kester and gives a slight frown. He raises his glass and smiles innocently.

Tawny House, Manor Road

Chapter Four

Tawny House, Manor Road

later in the evening

‘Miss Marchant?’ Kester arrives at her table and bows slightly. ‘May I have the pleasure?’ he grins as he holds out his hand ‘As it were’

Helen hesitates, glancing at the other guests around the candlelit table as if searching for an excuse to say no. Simon smiles benignly.

‘Come on!’ Kester coaxes in little more than a whisper ‘In front of all these people, how dangerous could it be?’ He leans forward as the string quartet strike up again at one end of the studio, cleared and festooned with tinsel and holly for the occasion. ‘Please?’

Rolling her eyes as Simon applauds, Helen takes his hand and he leads her onto the improvised dance floor.

‘I’m a wee bit merry’ Kester admits ‘six courses and matching wines and I’m anybody’s’

‘And I drew the short straw?’

He looks down at her sharply but seeing her mouth twitch with amusement, throws back his head and laughs. ‘Brilliant! You’re enjoying yourself?’

‘I am, as it happens.’

‘Good, that’s good.’ His hand at her back exerts just enough pressure to lead her through the quickstep and he holds her hand lightly.

‘Kester?’

‘Mmm?’

‘I…I’m…’

‘So am I’

‘Can we…’

‘I think we have, don’t you?’

‘Are you a mind reader now?’

Kester turns his head slightly to make eye contact. ‘Currently you’re thinking ‘I wish he’d get off my foot’’ he chuckles

‘You dance well’

‘Surprised?’

‘A little’

‘Trade for not taking piano lessons’ he firms his hold ‘Harriet insisted I must have one saving grace’

‘She’s wonderful, isn’t she?’ Helen’s words are a statement rather than a question.

‘The best’ Kester executes a perfect turn. ‘Blimey! I can’t do that sober’ he laughs.

She smiles at his astonishment ‘Thank you for not….’ She lowers her eyes. ‘I was so rude to you. It could have been awkward. I didn’t realise…’

‘That I was going to be here?’

‘No’

‘Would you have come if you’d known?’

She looks up ‘I don’t know’ she says honestly

‘I’m glad you did. There’s not one man in the room that doesn’t envy me right now’

‘Please don’t’

‘Don’t?’

‘Flirt.’

‘Flirt? I am stating a truth, Helen. You look stunning, you really do. If I’d wanted to flirt I would have said something like…’ he bends his mouth to her ear and whispers, chuckling as another blush floods her face. ‘But you don’t want me to do that, so I won’t’

He hums along with the music for a few bars and avoids eye contact until the dance comes to an end. ‘Thank you’ he smiles and takes her back to her seat.

‘Kester, you dance beautifully’ Simon glows with admiration. ‘Doesn’t he, darling?’ he turns to Helen ‘What I’d give for five minutes on the floor with him!’

Kester rolls his eyes and walks away, laughing.