Across the dance floor, she could see that the Dowager Countess had finally finished her conversation and was glaring at her most meaningfully. Polly felt exasperated. Why had her mother not objected to the unwelcome attentions of the odious Sir Mar ma duke and yet had immediately perceived Lord Henry's arrival? It was most unfair. She deliberately looked the other way.

Lucille had once said, without an iota of partiality, hk that Lord Henry March night was the best-looking y man that she had ever seen.

Polly could certainly un; understand what she meant, for Lord Henry had the cla.s.sical regularity of feature beloved of all sculptors and } ; painters. His thick fair hair, immaculately ruffled in W , :. c the Windswept style, made ladies long to run their 5 '%! fingers through it. The lazy appraisal of those grey ; ;%S s? ; eyes could, as one infatuated maiden declared, positively cause one to swoon, and his sporting pursuits "H."." f, had given him a physique envied by those less fa- s.

;T";!-i: : . voured.

"Are you really so dangerous then, sir?" Polly heard herself say.

Surely that could not be her voice, so light, so teasing? She never flirted!

"I am accounted dangerous, certainly. " Lord Henry ,

})m pspnpul ". , " ,1 . . given her a quizzical glance, no doubt as surprised by Polly's flirtatious ness as she was herself. : I ;- "A real tiger, then, not merely a p.u.s.s.ycat?"

This time Lord Henry's look was rather more searching.

"Have you been drinking the arrack punch, Lady Polly?"

"Certainly not." Polly said with dignified aplomb. "I had some delicious fruit cup, but what is that to the " Ah, the fruit cup," Lord Henry murmured with a slight smile.

"It is so refreshing, is it not? I see the Dowager Countess is looking daggers at us," he continued indolently.

"I must shortly redeem myself in her eyes and return you to her unscathed!"

"Oh, no!" Polly had suddenly remembered that she had promised Lucille that she would speak to Lord Henry about a matter of importance. She frowned in concentration, trying to remember what exactly the issue had been. It was something potentially difficult. embarra.s.sing. but she did not feel embarra.s.sed at the moment, only marvellously liberated.

Her mind was a little fuzzy at the edges, perhaps, but she had not felt this confident in a long time! It was a moment before she realised that Lord Henry was looking at her with amus.e.m.e.nt.

"I beg your pardon. Lady Polly?"

"No, do not take me back just yet, sir!" Polly tried to grasp the appropriate words.

"I... there is a matter I need ... must discuss with you!"

"Indeed!" A faint smile touched Lord Henry's firm mouth once more.

"You intrigue me, madam! I am at your disposal, of course!"

The music was ending. Lord Henry gave her a mocking bow, taking her arm to escort her through the crowd and across to one of the silk-draped alcoves.

It was sufficiently far from her mother to make Polly feel much more confident. She could deal with this matter without the Dowager Lady Sea grave even realising!

Lord Henry stood aside for her to sit down first, but she made no move to do so. He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, Lady Polly? What is this urgent matter that demands our attention?

Will you not sit down so that I may at least do the same?"

Polly discovered that her thought processes were suddenly beautifully clear.

"I meant," she said deliberately, 'that I needed to speak to you in private.

Not here. There are too many people about! " This time. Lord Henry did not scruple to hide his surprise.

"A somewhat equivocal remark, my lady!" he said, with an ironic inflection.

"Are you sure that is what you mean? It seems most singular."

Polly frowned at him. She had no time for argument. All she was aware of was the single-minded need to fulfill her purpose.

"The terrace should suffice, my lord," she said briskly, turning towards the door and praying that he would follow. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Dowager Countess getting heavily to her feet.

It was a long way around the dance floor and the room was crowded, but it would take a determined Mama seconds only to rescue her charge.

Polly saw one of the Dowager Countess's acquaintance accost her and heaved a sigh of relief.

Old Lady Odgers was notoriously chatty and would not be easy to shake off.

She prayed that this would give her enough time.

The terrace was deeply shadowed and Polly purposefully made for the furthest corner, only turning back to Lord Henry when she had gained its seclusion.

The cool evening air had helped to sober her a little, but she still felt remarkably buoyant and determined. Yet as soon as she opened her mouth the words seemed to desert her.

"I hoped...! wished...! wanted to say..." Suddenly it seemed incredibly difficult to frame the appropriate phrases. She had wanted to be so gracious, easily putting an end to five years' embarra.s.sment.

At this rate she would cause five years' more! And Lord Henry was not helping her, lounging against the parapet and watching her with the same thoughtful consideration he had already shown.

"Yes, ma'am? You have already implied that you had something of importance to impart to me. I should not be here else."

Polly's cheeks, already flushed with unaccustomed high colour from the punch, became even rosier.

"Oh, you are the most odious man! I only wished to say that I wanted us to be friends!" Memory came to her aid.

"I want us to be friends in future and I want us to be comfortable together!"

she brought out, triumphantly. It had a rea.s.suring sound, although comfortable was about the last thing Lord Henry made her feel.

"And if you wish it too, then there is no bar--' " Ah, but perhaps I do not.

" Lord Henry was smiling a little now, for he knew that certain suspicions he had harboured about Lady Polly's lack of sobriety had been confirmed. She was not drunk, precisely, he thought, but she was not perfectly sober. And she was evidently too innocent to have realised her state. Or her danger.

"Oh!" Polly had antic.i.p.ated his compliance and there was no doubt that this refusal to conform had thrown her plans. Lord Henry watched in amus.e.m.e.nt as she tried to puzzle it out. With her tumbled curls, pink cheeks and bright eyes, she looked wholly enchanting. He felt a certain impulse stir in him and tried half-heartedly to stifle it. He straightened up and took a step closer to her. Polly did not appear to notice.

"Well, if you do not care to be comfortable with me--' " No, ma'am. "

Lord Henry was still immaculately polite, even as he calculated, quite coldly, what he was about to do.

"Comfortable is not a word I could ever apply to our situation."

"Then--' Polly was at a loss.

"If you do not wish us to be friends, what...?"

Lord Henry made a slight, dismissive gesture. "What could a rake wish for from a lady on a providentially empty terrace?"