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going to his own room further along the wide corridor. Davina found Catrin, already dressed, was putting the finishing touches to her make-up.
    ‘Did you have a nice afternoon? I wish you’d been here, though, to see Miranda’s face when she discovered you and Rex had sneaked off on your own.’
    ‘There was no sneaking about it.’ For some reason Davina felt angry at the suggestion that she and Rex Fitzpaine had made a surreptitious assignation.
    Catrin she saw looked surprised at the tart reply, but she simply said, ‘If you want a bath, I’d grab it now. If you’re quick I’ll wait and we can go downstairs together.’
    Davina did not take long, and as she dressed, Catrin entertained her with a brief outline of her own afternoon. ‘Mother wanted a few extras from town, so James and Paul offered to drive me in. I think they were as glad to get away from Miranda as I was.’
    ‘Talk about handsome is as handsome does,’ Davina said as she smoothed foundation cream on to her face, ‘I expect she’ll be wearing something ruinously expensive tonight and shine us both down. Pity she’s always so waspish.’
    ‘Not to the men she isn’t,’ Catrin remarked, ‘and as to shining us both down ... well, I think your dress is super. Where did you get it?’
    ‘Sales. It’s French. Do you like it?’ and Davina got up to show off the cream dress with its brown velvet ribbon ties at waist and off-the-shoulder neckline.
    Catrin nodded approval. ‘It’s great, and that layered skirt really suits you. One thing about being pint-sized, we don’t have to worry about frills making us look fat. What about mine?* and she pirouetted on her size three gold kid evening sandals. ‘Laura Ashley, as if you hadn’t guessed. It was the only one of its kind and probably a sample.’
    The Ashley model in one of its delicately flowered prints suited Catrin’s youth and dark Celtic colouring. Davina smiled in appreciation before turning back to the mirror to complete making up her face. She put down the box of eyeshadow, gave a last pat to her curls and with a sigh said, ‘I should have used a mauve tint, but that will have to do. Come on, Cat, let’s go and tell Gran how super she looks in her new dress.’
    It required no affectionate stretching of the truth for the two girls to assure their grandmother she would be the belle of the ball, for even at eighty Mrs Brehm was still a striking woman. Tonight, clad in full evening dress and with her well coiffured hair and clear, almost unwrinkled skin, it was difficult to believe she was an octogenarian. And her twinkling blue eyes almost outshone the sapphire collarette around her throat as she kissed her two favourite granddaughters with affection as they complimented her.
    ‘Away with the pair of you!’ Mrs Brehm said in indulgent tones as she went to await the arrival of her first guests. ‘Sixty years ago I might have given you both a run for your money, but age can’t compete with youth. You’ll have the young men buzzing around you like flies.’
    ‘We don’t intend to compete with you, Gran,’ Davina laughed. ‘In any case, in that dress you’ll be the honeypot.’ Mrs Brehm smoothed the folds of her lace dress. ‘I’m pleased you approve, but don’t try and tell me I look twenty, you bad girl. Once everyone’s here, I shan’t be able to see either of you in the crush.’
    Her prophecy was not far short of the mark. Mrs Brehm had invited as many friends as her house could comfortably hold and Davina and Catrin discovered among the guests many young people with whom they had played as children while here on holiday. It was the grandest affair to be held since before Grandfather Brehm’s death, and until the six-piece orchestra started playing Davina was happily occupied in greeting old friends and admiring some of the gorgeous dresses and jewels of the female guests.
    But as soon as the music began, she found herself on the area cleared for dancing being