ANNE ASHLEY - Miss In A Man's World

Entering the library unannounced, he discovered the Viscount and his highly favoured young servant seated on opposite sides of the hearth, both engrossed in a game of chess. Consequently he was given a few precious moments in which to study the intimate little tableau without his presence being detected. Not taking his eyes away for a second, he studied the way the page reached for the glass of wine at his elbow and took the most delicate of sips, and the way slender, tapering fingers moved a chess piece across the board with infinite care. There was only one conclusion he could draw.

‘Why, if it isn’t Mr Gingham!’ Georgie announced, catching sight of him at last. ‘We didn’t expect you back so soon, did we, my lord?’

‘Indeed not, child,’ the Viscount agreed affably, not taking his eyes off the chess board. ‘Draw up a chair, old fellow. I hope you don’t object to us playing a while longer. The game is at a most interesting stage, you see.’

Helping himself to wine, Charles took a chair a little away from the players. ‘Do not consider me for a moment, Finch. I shall be quite content viewing proceedings from here.’

Try though he might to calculate the state of play, he seemed unable to take his eyes off his lordship’s worthy opponent for very long, and the more he studied each and every movement of that slender, lithe young body, the more convinced he became that his startlingly disturbing suspicion was correct. He chanced to glance in the Viscount’s direction at one point, and caught him staring directly back at him, the most enigmatic of smiles hovering about those finely chiselled lips.

The instant the mantel-clock announced the hour of eleven, his lordship leaned back in his chair. ‘Child, it is late, and time you were abed. I shall concede defeat. Well played!’

‘Oh, no, sir! That wouldn’t be fair. I have not beaten you. I shall agree to a draw.’ The smile that accompanied this contrasting decision was so enchantingly lovely it almost took Charles’s breath away.

His lordship seemed quite impervious, however, as he said, ‘Very well, stalemate it is. Be sure I shall issue a further challenge in the near future. Goodnight, Georgie.’

As soon as the door had closed behind the servant Charles sat himself in the recently vacated chair opposite his lordship. He didn’t attempt to speak. More importantly, neither did his lordship. As the silence lengthened between them, Charles couldn’t resist looking across at the Viscount and discovered him with that same inscrutable smile playing about his mouth, while all the time staring fixedly down at the empty hearth. He could contain himself no longer.

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