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To Escape
by Limey
She stood radiant in a gown of indefinable colour that so well matched her eyes and hair . Her mouth was pulled gently to one side by the familiar smile that so often he had tried to touch .
She showed neither surprise nor pleasure ; there was not a hint of panic nor discomfiture at his sudden appearance which was in stark contrast to his own reaction .
That she was the hostess was beyond doubt ; her movements before she turned showed it to perfection . Why had he not recognised her from the back ? Could it be that she was not ... ?
"Lovely to see you John." The words confirmed the message in her voice . "How come you're here ?"
Her coolness, the graceful way in which she carried off the unexpected confrontation showed that she was at home in this setting. And it served to stem his rising tide of anger .
"You didn't know ... ? But I am invited ."
Then came again that heart-stopping transformation - the face slowly breaking like a beautiful dawning and he knew that he would forgive her anything . She lowered her head and, shaking it from side to side , began quietly to giggle : "Jack Lannon . Which of us is going to start the forgiving ?"
Before he could reply she had tucked her hand into his arm and was drawing him forward . "Listen everyone. I have to introduce you to our new neighbour ... Mr. Jack Lannon . He's the new owner of Hantbury House. I'll give a prize to anyone who can guess why we haven't seen him before tonight ."
"Sort of the pot calling the kettle black isn't it old thing . Nobody has seen you either for months ."
He felt the slight pressure of her fingers on his arm and knew that the giggle was under strict guard ; there was no need to confirm the twinkle that would be gathering tiny lines at the corners of her eyes .
And there flooded through him a sense of joy, a freedom not yet encountered in her presence ; the fear of his deception had been chased away by this voluptuous joy of a secret shared . A shared joy . A knowledge that both had been caught in a trap of their own making . As punishment they now had to stand side by side and not give away that precious encounter even though its revelation would undoubtedly have made the evening momentous for the small group of guests .
A tight feeling began to gather in his chest ; he took out his handkerchief to wipe his lips before he recognised that he too was beset by the desire to giggle .
"Duty calls ." A quick pat and she was gone and so left him time to catch his breath and ponder .
"Glad I found you in ." She had delighted once again to hear his voice. "Sorry I had to desert you so badly last night . Hoped to see you after ... ? "
"You only beat me to it by a short head. Couldn't make up my mind as to the most appropriate time to telephone the lady of the Manor ."
He was ribbing she knew but laid on a defensive little pout . "Was afraid I might catch you in bed ."
"And that worried you ? "
Her resolutions were driven far away as she gave a little shout of laughter . "Touché . We've been a bit daft haven't we ?"
A smart little maid brought in the coffee and she knew a small twinge of jealousy . Did he have to employ ... again she fell prey to an attack of giggles and he looked up enquiringly from his task .
"Sorry, " she said, "I was just wondering whether you preferred a maid's uniform to johdpurs ."
He considered gravely . She wasn't sure if it came as a challenge; nodding slowly : "I'm told they did away with the horse-trough some years ago ."
She had expected a more teasing answer and now felt a small pang of fear . "We're fencing, " she said . "It's only a few days ... we were able to talk to each other then ?"
He handed her a cup, placed the biscuits beside her and then raised her heart-beat by bringing his to sit beside her . Tension made her clumsy : "We'd make a filthy rich couple ."
"Rich I don't mind . Filthy now ... could we keep it up ?" He stirred his cup absently almost as though it was empty . "I'm wondering," he said. "Did either of us do wrong ? It was wonderful to be with someone who was not aware of my money."
She must have been silent for some time because, when she looked up , he was gazing at her as she had once caught him before . Did he ... ? Was he saying ... ? She couldn't find the right words and finally blurted: "Me too . Funny."
Really there isn't any more that's worth saying .
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