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Authors: Georgette Heyer
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will be a difficult task," he said. "Does she expect you to join her in the supper-room?"
"Oh yes! That is, nothing was said, but of course she would expect me. I was to have gone in with a - a gentleman, only…" She broke off, blushing more furiously that ever.
"Only that perhaps the gentleman had had a trifle too much to drink, and so forgot himself," finished the Colonel in a matter-of-fact voice.
Miss Devenish gave a gasp, and looked quickly up into his face. The smile in his eyes seemed to reassure her. She said: "Yes, that was it. Oh, how singular it must appear to you! But indeed -"
"It doesn't appear in the least singular to me," he interrupted. "But your lace! That is a more serious matter. If you had a pin - or even two pins - in your reticule, and could trust to my bungling fingers, I believe I could set it to rights."
The fright had by this time died out of her eyes. A smile quivered on her lips. She replied: "I have a pin -two pins - but are you sure you can?"
"No," said the Colonel. "But I am sure I can try , give me your pins."
She glanced round, but they were alone in the antechamber. "Thank you: you are very obliging!" she said and opened her reticule.
The pins once discovered, it was a matter of a minute or two only before the frills were in place again. Miss Devenish was quite astonished by the Colonel's deediness. "I made sure you would prick me at least!"
said merrily. "But I am quite in your debt! Thank you."
He offered his arm. "May I take you to your aunt, if we can find her?"
"Oh - ! I should be very happy: but am I not trespassing on your time?"
"How should you be? Perhaps your aunt may be waiting for you in the ballroom."
No trace, however, of Mrs Fisher was to be found there, nor was she discovered in the corridor leading to the second supper-room.
"I am afraid there is nothing for it but for you to accept me in place of your other supper partner," said the Colonel. "Your aunt must have gone in already, and from what I have seen of the crowd there you will be lucky indeed if you contrive to find her. Shall we go in?"
She looked doubtfully at him. "But are you sure you are not expected in the other room? I thought - someone told me - that nearly all the staff officers were invited, and you are one, are you not?"
"I am, but no one will care a button whether I sup in the other room or not, I assure you," replied the Colonel. "It will be very dull, if I know these staff functions."
"Will it?"
"Oh, I give you my word! It will last an interminable time, and a great many people will made interminable speeches. I should infinitely prefer to sup with you."
Miss Devenish smiled. "I shall be very happy to go with you," she said. "Indeed, I think I should feel wretchedly lost by myself. There are so many people!"
They fell in with the slow-moving stream of guests, and presently found themselves in a large, brilliantly-lit room set out with any number of tables, and already bewilderingly full of people. As they paused within the room, looking about them for a couple of vacant places, Miss Devenish exclaimed: "Oh, there she is!" and started towards a table near the door, at which was seated a stout, good-humoured-looking lady in purple sarsnet and a turban.
"There you are, my love!" said Mrs Fisher. "I came in early to be sure of obtaining a good place. Well, and are you enjoying yourself? For my part I find the rooms very hot, but I daresay young people don't notice such Things. You had better sit down while you may. I assure you I have been quite put to it to keep these seats for you."
Miss Devenish turned to Colonel Audley. "Thank you so very much! You need not miss your engagement in the other room after all, you see."
Mrs Fisher, having favoured the Colonel with a sleepy yet shrewd scrutiny, interposed to invite him most hospitably to join her at the table. "I would not go into the other room if I were you," she told him. "I daresay they will be making speeches for as much as a couple
"Oh yes! That is, nothing was said, but of course she would expect me. I was to have gone in with a - a gentleman, only…" She broke off, blushing more furiously that ever.
"Only that perhaps the gentleman had had a trifle too much to drink, and so forgot himself," finished the Colonel in a matter-of-fact voice.
Miss Devenish gave a gasp, and looked quickly up into his face. The smile in his eyes seemed to reassure her. She said: "Yes, that was it. Oh, how singular it must appear to you! But indeed -"
"It doesn't appear in the least singular to me," he interrupted. "But your lace! That is a more serious matter. If you had a pin - or even two pins - in your reticule, and could trust to my bungling fingers, I believe I could set it to rights."
The fright had by this time died out of her eyes. A smile quivered on her lips. She replied: "I have a pin -two pins - but are you sure you can?"
"No," said the Colonel. "But I am sure I can try , give me your pins."
She glanced round, but they were alone in the antechamber. "Thank you: you are very obliging!" she said and opened her reticule.
The pins once discovered, it was a matter of a minute or two only before the frills were in place again. Miss Devenish was quite astonished by the Colonel's deediness. "I made sure you would prick me at least!"
said merrily. "But I am quite in your debt! Thank you."
He offered his arm. "May I take you to your aunt, if we can find her?"
"Oh - ! I should be very happy: but am I not trespassing on your time?"
"How should you be? Perhaps your aunt may be waiting for you in the ballroom."
No trace, however, of Mrs Fisher was to be found there, nor was she discovered in the corridor leading to the second supper-room.
"I am afraid there is nothing for it but for you to accept me in place of your other supper partner," said the Colonel. "Your aunt must have gone in already, and from what I have seen of the crowd there you will be lucky indeed if you contrive to find her. Shall we go in?"
She looked doubtfully at him. "But are you sure you are not expected in the other room? I thought - someone told me - that nearly all the staff officers were invited, and you are one, are you not?"
"I am, but no one will care a button whether I sup in the other room or not, I assure you," replied the Colonel. "It will be very dull, if I know these staff functions."
"Will it?"
"Oh, I give you my word! It will last an interminable time, and a great many people will made interminable speeches. I should infinitely prefer to sup with you."
Miss Devenish smiled. "I shall be very happy to go with you," she said. "Indeed, I think I should feel wretchedly lost by myself. There are so many people!"
They fell in with the slow-moving stream of guests, and presently found themselves in a large, brilliantly-lit room set out with any number of tables, and already bewilderingly full of people. As they paused within the room, looking about them for a couple of vacant places, Miss Devenish exclaimed: "Oh, there she is!" and started towards a table near the door, at which was seated a stout, good-humoured-looking lady in purple sarsnet and a turban.
"There you are, my love!" said Mrs Fisher. "I came in early to be sure of obtaining a good place. Well, and are you enjoying yourself? For my part I find the rooms very hot, but I daresay young people don't notice such Things. You had better sit down while you may. I assure you I have been quite put to it to keep these seats for you."
Miss Devenish turned to Colonel Audley. "Thank you so very much! You need not miss your engagement in the other room after all, you see."
Mrs Fisher, having favoured the Colonel with a sleepy yet shrewd scrutiny, interposed to invite him most hospitably to join her at the table. "I would not go into the other room if I were you," she told him. "I daresay they will be making speeches for as much as a couple
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