Free The Silk Vendetta by Victoria Holt Page A

made it herself, was the essence of elegance.
    “And what happened?” she asked. “Did you dance?”
    “A little. Mr. Barker doesn’t dance and I had to look after them.”
    “Did you dance with Mr. Aldringham?”
    “No … he was with Julia quite a lot.”
    She looked disappointed.
    “I danced with Philip just after supper, which I had with him and Cassie and the Barkers.”
    Grand’mere did not look very pleased. She said: “You are tired. You must go to sleep.”
    It was not so much that I wanted to sleep as to be alone to think over the evening, which meant that unpleasant encounter with Charles.
    Grand’mere was disappointed. The young girl after her first ball should have been filled with excitement, bursting with the need to talk of the thrilling evening. And all I could do was think about those terrifying moments in the cubbyhole. It was not that I wanted to. I just could not help it.

    When I saw Charles the next day he did not seem to be aware of me. I began to feel relieved. He had forgotten. It was the way in which he behaved to any female whom he considered beneath him. Perhaps I had been unduly perturbed. He had tried and failed and he must have been very angry because of that stinging blow I gave him. It would have been a physical hurt as well as an insult.
    The following morning Julia was annoyed because Charles and Philip had taken Drake off somewhere and it seemed they would be away for the whole of the day.
    In the afternoon I went for a ride with her and Cassie. She was talking all the time about the party.
    “It was really quite enjoyable,” she said. “I can’t wait to be ‘out.’ Then it will be all parties like that. Drake will be in London. He’s bound to be asked to all the parties … or most of them … because of his father and his uncle. People are more respectful towards cabinet ministers than admirals.”
    “One wouldn’t have thought so,” I said, “when you consider the way in which they are vilified by the press.”
    “People take an interest in them because of that. There has to be a war for sailors to be made much of. I do hope Drake goes into politics. It will be most exciting.”
    Cassie said thoughtfully: “Do you think you will be there to see the excitement?”
    Julia blushed. “I … I always thought I’d like to lead that sort of life. You know, all the thrill of elections … and going to the House and meeting people like Lord Beaconsfield and Mr. Gladstone. Mary Anne Wyndham Lewis was afterwards Lord Beaconsfield’s wife. Everybody called her Mary Anne even when she became Lady Beaconsfield. It’s frightfully romantic, She had lots of money. That was really why he married her.”
    “Very romantic,” I said sarcastically. “Would you agree, Cassie?”
    “Well, often those suitable marriages turn out very well in the end,” said Julia. “Theirs did and she used to say that he might have married her for money, but after the years together he would marry her for love. Drake was most interesting about it. You would have loved it, Cassie … so would you, Lenore. But you had to look after those boring Barkers.”
    “Philip and Cassie came along and helped out. It wasn’t so bad then.”
    “Theirs is a happy marriage,” said Cassie. “Mrs. Barker thinks Mr. Barker is quite wonderful. It is rather charming to watch the way she listens to him, nodding her head all the time. I think if anyone said a word against him, or attempted to con-tradict him, she would be ready to slay them.”
    “That sort of marriage where one partner is subservient to the other is bound to be a success,” I said. “I expect that is what every man is looking for.”
    “I don’t think Drake would want that. He loves you to disagree with him. I’ve noticed that.”
    “I hadn’t,” said Cassie.
    “Dear Cass, you haven’t been with him like I have.” She preened herself. “He is so amusing. I loved the story of Lord Beaconsfield’s wife. I think he was plain Mr.