The general had called the company for a dance and the assembly had, inevitably, acceded to the request.
Even Lieutenant Matthew Trent was there in attendance despite the incident the previous night. He had wanted to stay away and to console Angie, but she had waved him away. She had a friend coming round to keep her company and had almost eagerly shoed Matthew out the door.
With the bright chandeliers that illuminated the place, Matthew barely noticed her at first as he approached the ballroom. Actually, he would have swept right by her, but for the fact that she chose to raise her hand in a limp greeting to another late arrival, just at the point when he passed the pillar that she was leaning against.
Matthew turned his head seeing the feeble gesture and wondering why she even bothered.
Then he saw it, dangling in her hand: the red leather jacket that was the very spit of the one Angie, his young wife, had said had been stolen the previous evening. Angie had showed him the bruising to her legs and her arms, where she'd been dragged along the pavement trying to save the present from her husband.
He had watched her bathe and has seen the bruising on other parts of her body, wondering at how she must have clung to that jacket.
No, it couldn't be. This waiflike brunette could never have made such an impact on Angie. It must be just a coincidence. How could anyone so slim and so controlled act in such a scurrilous and vicious fashion. There again Angie had never mentioned the sex of the attacker. Matthew had assumed that it was a man, and yet that jacket: it had the familiar stain on the sleeve where he had rubbed in an over acidic cleansing fluid to clear the evidence of one of his late night affairs.
His curiosity stirred and a growing sense of anger filled his head, almost blinding him to reason. His impatience to cross into melee beyond the high doors of the ballroom evaporated as his interest in the misdeeds of this dark-haired lady surged.
Turning face on to her, he bowed a little stiffly, snapping his heels together so they clicked smartly, causing her to stare open eyed at him. And then he paused, momentarily taken aback by her lovely form in that lilac décolleté gown.
'Yes?' she enquired of him, looking up at his six foot six frame rather perplexed.
'The jacket?'
'Yes?'
'Where did you get it?'
'Manners make a man.'
'It's important.'
'It was a gift from a dear friend, who I am due to meet here tonight.'
'And that would be why you are waiting on the threshold?' Matthew enquired politely, taking her at face value. He was very relieved that she was not the culprit and yet his interest was roused by her prettiness. 'Do you not want to dance yet?'
'I am passing the time well enough, thank you.'
'Passing time?'
'As you so wisely concluded, I am waiting to see if my friend appears.'
'He is a good friend then?'
'He is unique.'
'Aren't we all?'
'Only he owns me, sir,' she smiled, lifting her head to show him the pale lilac collar bejewelled with Amethysts that adorned her throat.
'There's a pretty collar to wrap a pretty pet in,' he almost sneered, still burning with anger at her connection with the stolen jacket.
'I'm His pet and not yours,' she almost snapped.
'I'm sorry. You interest me.'
'I do: above and beyond my apparel or in some other way?'
'Your prettiness as well as your clothing attracted my curiosity, madam.'
'My curiosity is roused by some of the more dynamic individuals who pass me by. I will tell my master all about them later.'
'And will your master give you permission to exercise your curiosity with me?' 'That's possible.'
He leant forward, reached out and raised her hand to be kissed. She lifted the kissed hand to her face and covered her mouth with it, before smiling up at him. 'Oh, what a surprise - you are almost gentlemanly in your fashion.'
'Indeed, but please, do tell me more about yourself?' 'What is there to tell that sir desires to know?'
'Well, what entices the lady if one may ask?' 'A hint of intellect along with a touch of imagination.'
'Hmmmm,' he considered her words for a moment. 'That's always, a delightful combination.' 'Rare though.'
'Unfortunately, yes.'
'So...,' she bowed her head and looked down at the floor, admiring either the parquet flooring or his shiny leather boots
'Is the lady often demure and submissive?' 'Only when asked very, very nicely and when expressly permitted.'
'So, what does the lady do for fun?' 'She makes snide comments and sees how others react, Lieutenant.'
'You know your ranks then?'
'And I know what is rank," she intimated poisonously, with a soft antiseptic smile to take away the sting.
'Are you trying to assess other personalities while you wait here?'
'You would be the sole centre of my attention young sir?'
'I am a good dozen years older than you.'
'And a good dozen years younger than my master.'
'Let's not duel.'
'It's nice to have a challenge, sir.'
'Do you need to be challenged?'
'Tessa challenges herself to rile her suitors if they are particularly stupid,' she giggled. 'Call it small mindedness on my part.'
'Why should it be small mindedness, Tessa? Surely, it's a test to see what a person can stand and deal with is it not?' 'You are very understanding.'
'Lieutenant Matthew Trent at your service,' he bowed from the waist.
'Tessa Lander would rather serve another, but thank you for taking my part.'
'I would take more than a part of you. Would that bother Miss Lander?"
'No - but she might not answer,' Tessa teased. 'Would that bother the gentleman?'
'Not in the slightest.' 'You may uncover me in time if you persist.'
He leant forward to kiss her nose gently. She watched his face approaching hers, considered withdrawing and decided to stay to see if his kissing was as promising as she hoped. At the same time she wondered vaguely if he would go cross-eyed were he to try looking elsewhere, while he were engaged in this gentle act.
'Do not look elsewhere when engaged on my proboscis, sir.'
'Why would I try looking elsewhere?' Matthew smiled denying her accusation and then kissing her gloved hand, enjoying the proximity of each finger, one after the other. 'I was merely trying to be amusing, Lieutenant Trent,' she shrugged and looked down at his bowed head as his lips enjoyed the connection with her kid gloves. ' Would it be improper for a lady to whisper in the ear of one's assailant?'
'Not at all,' he replied, lifting his head and raising his hand to take the lobe of her left ear between finger and thumb, squeezing gently. 'Please call me Matthew.'
'Matthew,' she whispered sensuously, breathing in softly, but otherwise remained stationery as his mouth followed his fingers to graze the fine bones of her ear. 'You are almost as affectionate as my true sir.'
'And does that bother you, Miss Lander?' 'No, I stay within the limits that I am permitted.'
He let his hand slip down to her shoulder and raised the other one up to join it, before letting his arms run over the fabric of her short sleeved lilac dress. She felt him encircle her arms and dress to the point where the sleeve gave way to her bare flesh. She let him press gently against the bodice, wondering whether he was trying to determine the extent of her upper undergarments. 'Conversing with you, is beginning to feel like giving alms to the blind," she remarked a little frostily.
'Sometimes a touch can tell more than mere sight alone.'
'You will feel the outlines of a flowery camisole and a lacy brassiere if you continue to press your fingers over my bodice sir.' 'I would like to see both garments later.'
'Do you dislike my dress so?'
'Do not be so wilful, madam.'
'Do I have such a good teacher in you, Trent?'
'That lilac dress looks devastating wonderful on the lady Tessa Lander.'
'Indeed Lieutenant?'
'And would look devastatingly wonderful draped on a settee off the lady Lander too,' he leered and bent over to softly kiss and lightly drag his tongue along her soft, bare neck.