“Don’t keep me waiting too long tonight,” he commanded and rose to his feet.
Nerina heard them walk across the floor and down the steps onto the lawn. There, without a glance at each other, they separated, Lady Clementine moving slowly and gracefully across the grass towards the group of people still watching the croquet tournament with Sir Rupert strolling unconcernedly in the opposite direction towards the marquee.
Nerina watched them go and then, when they were out of earshot, changed her position with a violent movement as if the very roughness she twisted herself with in some way relieved her feelings. She was cramped, her legs had pins and needles in them, but she could hardly feel the tingling pain as she was so angry. There were two bright spots of colour burning in her cheeks an
