Mrs Soames was in full spiel about how shocking it was that there were so few men at the ball.
‘You’d think that Dame Pamela would have the situation sorted by now, wouldn’t you?’
‘Well, it’s hardly her fault,’ Warwick said, his eyes roving the room in search of Katherine. And Nadia. ‘I mean, she can’t force men to come along to these things, can she?’
‘Dame Pamela can be very persuasive when she wants to,’ Mrs Soames said. ‘Why couldn’t she have invited some of those actor fellows she works with?’
‘I expect they’re all rather busy,’ Warwick said, wondering how he was ever going to break free from the woman.
‘You’ll dance with me, though?’ she said, not waiting for Warwick’s answer. He blanched as she took his hands in her great meaty ones and pushed him towards the dance floor.
It wasn’t until he was stuck in the middle of a dozen spinning couples that he saw Katherine. He was about to smile at her, but it seemed that she’d already spotted him and she wasn’t smiling. He did a full 360-degree spin and Katherine still wasn’t smiling. It was then that he saw the reason why. Nadia Sparks was standing next to her.
***
Katherine’s mind was reeling faster than Warwick was spinning on the dance floor.
‘You’re not going to say anything, are you?’ Nadia said, swaying a little.
Katherine didn’t respond. She wasn’t sure she’d be capable of speech ever again.
‘I bet you’ve even read one or two of his books, eh?’ Nadia said, her mood suddenly lifting.
‘Yes,’ Katherine said. ‘One or two.’
‘I thought so! And they’re marvellous. All marvellous! I don’t know why he doesn’t make it known. I think it would actually improve sales. Not that he’s not selling enough as it is. I just think it would really amuse the public.’
‘Yes,’ Katherine said. ‘It would be highly amusing. Like a kind of experiment.’
‘What’s that?’ Nadia asked.
Katherine wasn’t listening. Her heart was hammering too loudly because she caught Warwick’s gaze from across the room. Instantly she was struck by nausea, and her vision blurred with hot tears. She put down her drink with a shaking hand and left the room as quickly as she could, pushing through the dancing couples, intent on escape before she could make even more of a fool of herself.
***
From the middle of the room Warwick saw Katherine leaving. Right before she left, she shot him a look that almost punctured his heart. Her eyes had turned into two deadly weapons.
‘Excuse me!’ he said, dropping Mrs Soames’s fat hands and fighting his way across the room to where Nadia was standing. Actually she was more slumped against the cocktail table, her eyes half-closed.
‘Nadia!’ Warwick hissed as he approached her.
‘Warrwrrick!’ she slurred. ‘Where’ve you breen?’
‘What have you been saying?’ he demanded.
‘What do you mean?’
‘To that lady—just now—what did you tell her?’
‘Nothing!’ she said. ‘I’ve been shaying nothing.’
‘You told her, didn’t you?’
‘I didn’t tell her anythring!’
‘Don’t lie to me, Nadia! I saw the look on her face. You must have told her.’
Nadia didn’t say anything. She only swayed a little and hiccupped.
Warwick took it as a full admission. ‘You idiot! Have you any idea what you’ve done?’
‘What I’ve done? It’s not me who’s breen hiding his identity and pretending to be a woman. Don’t you brame this on me, Lorna!’ Nadia suddenly swayed alarmingly and grabbed hold of Higgins the butler as he walked by.
‘Would madam like a chair?’ Higgins asked.
‘Madam is leaving,’ Warwick announced.
‘But I’ve not finished my drink,’ Nadia said.
‘I’m calling you a taxi to the nearest hotel. You’re not staying here a moment longer,’ he said, taking the drink from her and placing it on Higgins’s tray.
‘But Warwick!’ she said.
‘Please, sir,’ Higgins said, ‘allow me to do the honours.’
‘Would you?’ Warwick said, thinking that he’d better go in chase of Katherine rather than hanging around for a taxi.
‘Of course, sir. I shall see madam is looked after.’
‘You’re a marvel, Higgins,’ Warwick said, slapping the butler on the back before hightailing it out of the Great Hall.