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.No one would care a damn if it was some other bloke, of course.But because it’s Sinclair it’s different.’ She swallowed hard.‘I never dreamed he’d stop seeing me altogether, Con.Which serves me right.’‘So ring him.’Rose’s eyes lit with a steely gleam.‘No, I can’t do that.Not now.’‘Why not, for heaven’s sake?’‘If Sinclair had really wanted to see me he’d have turned up tonight on the off chance I’d be there.He didn’t, so that’s that.I’ve got my pride.’Con smiled in approval.‘Good girl.He’s not the only man in the world, Rosie.And it’s Valentine’s day next week.You’ll be knee-deep in partners at the dance.’To Rose’s surprise she received as many cards as Fabia and Con.The flat was awash with red hearts and sentimental verses alongside jokier offerings with messages ranging from the cute to the downright rude.But the card that Rose liked the most was an exquisite watercolour of a single red rose, with no verse at all.And to add to her secret excitement a matching live bloom arrived for her during the morning.‘A rose for Rose,’ said the message on the florist’s card.‘Dear me, I wonder who that’s from?’ said Con, smiling.‘No point in wondering,’ said Fabia with relish.‘Mystery is the point of it all.’Rose tried to convince herself that neither card nor rose was from James.Miles Challoner, who fancied himself as a Byronic type, was probably responsible.A thought which dissipated her excitement very thoroughly.In comparison with James Sinclair all other males in her immediate vicinity seemed immature and uninteresting, and with no chance of seeing him there she got ready for the dance later without much enthusiasm.Her dress, bought in Chastlecombe during the January sales, was a little sleeveless number sprigged with rosebuds on black silk, with fluted hem and plunging V-neck, and was pronounced such a success by her friends Rose’s spirits lifted a little as Fabia did her make-up.Tonight she would have fun and enjoy herself.And forget James Sinclair.CHAPTER SIXTO MAKE the evening more of an occasion Con and Fabia had persuaded Rose it would be a good idea to invite a few people round first for a snack supper.By early evening the small flat was a crush of young men in dinner jackets and girls in party frocks.The three hostesses passed round bits and pieces bought from a supermarket to accompany a sparing supply of bubbly wine from the same source, and by the time they got to the dance the entire group was in tearing spirits.While Rose, if not quite as carefree as the others, was feeling a lot better than she’d done for a while, and knew she looked good, for the simple reason that so many of her partners told her so.Miles, as expected, was much in evidence, and extravagant with his praise of her dress.‘Clever girl—roses for Rose,’ he whispered in her ear, unaware that he’d damped his partner down so badly she wanted to run from the floor in tears.Of course James hadn’t sent the rose.But like a fool she’d let herself hope he had.Just for a while.She smiled up at Miles with such determined animation he responded with enthusiasm, crushing her so close against him the studs of his dress shirt prodded her painfully through the silk.When the band finished the set Miles put a possessive arm round her to steer her back to the noisy group at their table and Rose slid into a chair next to Con to join in heated, laughing speculation about who had sent Valentine cards to whom.When the college band started up again with a slow number, Will Hargreaves pulled Fabia to her feet, then stood rooted to the spot, staring at a new arrival near the door.Con muttered incredulously as all eyes turned in the same direction.But Rose couldn’t hear a thing over the heartbeat drumming against her ribs at the sight of James Sinclair in formal black and white.With a red rose in his lapel.He began to thread his way through the crowd, causing an audible stir when he came to a halt in front of her.‘Dance with me, Rose?’ he said, smiling.In a flash the evening was transformed.She nodded formally in assent, and went into James’s arms like a homing bird, never even noticing the stricken look on Miles Challoner’s face.The knowledge that they were attracting attention on all sides no longer mattered a jot to Rose
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