The Officer and the Lady

It was perfectly true that Sir Matthew had derived a great deal of satisfaction from the fact that he had sired such an astonishingly beautiful daughter, but the consequence had been that he had spoiled the girl rather dreadfully. As far as he had been concerned, simply to see Jessica’s grass-green eyes light up with rapture and to receive her grateful kisses for some new little trinket or other he had purchased had more than helped to alleviate some of the considerable irritation that his shrinking, lacklustre wife and bookish son seemed bent on causing him.

Having sensed that Miss Widdecombe must also feel a certain satisfaction at having witnessed such a remarkable climb-down by her hot-headed young charge, Imogen shot a sideways glance at her neighbour. Unfortunately, the governess had her face averted, her shoulders were gently shaking and she was feverishly dabbing at her lips with her dinner napkin in an attempt to conceal her amusement so, instead of the expected eye-to-eye contact with a fellow conspirator, Imogen found herself gazing straight into Beresford’s smiling eyes, the reason for Miss Widdecombe’s surreptitious behaviour not having escaped him.

For several seconds it was as though time stood still. Gradually the smile in his eyes faded, only to be replaced by a look of confused bewilderment and Imogen, equally mystified at whatever it was that had passed between them, felt her whole body trembling as she struggled to regain some sort of composure.

Eventually, with a supreme effort, she managed to tear her eyes away from his mesmerising gaze. Glancing nervously round the table, she prayed that the bizarre event had escaped her family’s attention and was relieved to find that none of the other guests seemed to have noticed anything amiss, intent as they all were upon enjoying the munificence of the unexpected banquet. She saw that even Jessica’s spirits seemed to have been remarkably restored; although that was no doubt due to the assiduous attentions she was being paid by Seymour, who was flirting with her cousin in the most outrageous manner.

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