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Alice surrendered to the kiss. Like the dance, it seemed to go on forever. She felt Harold’s arms go around her and she returned his embrace. Then everything was rudely broken apart.
“Alice!” Ruth cried. “How dare you!”
Alice jumped, springing away from Harold. He too looked surprised. For a moment, they both looked at each other, and then, in the same moment, reality reasserted itself. They both remembered where they were. Alice’s hands went to her mouth and her eyes went wide.
“Oh, dear. I forgot myself,” was all she could say.
Ruth was bustling towards the two of them as quickly as she could go. Upon reaching Alice, she seized her by the elbow and hauled her across the balcony towards the steps.
“Come with me this instant, young lady. And as for you…Your Grace…” she said, adding the title belatedly. “I suggest you leave this instant, before Simon…”
“Before Simon what?” Simon said.
He appeared from beyond the torches, clearly having reached the balcony by another door. He looked from Harold to Alice, then to Ruth and realization dawned.
“You rogue! I knew it!” he snarled.
“Simon, stop it. You don’t understand anything!” Alice cried.
“Ruth, tell me the truth. What happened?” Simon demanded without taking his eyes off Harold.
“I saw…I saw…”
No, Ruth, please. If you ever loved me, then tell some lie. There was no harm in what happened.
She looked at Ruth in silent entreaty.
“Well, Simon. I saw them come out here alone together and I just thought that you would not approve. Even with Gordon and myself just ten yards away. So…that was all.”
“Apart from the kiss, dear,” Gordon put in. “That was a rum do and no mistake.”
“Kiss?” Simon said quietly.
“Calm down, Lindley,” Harold said. “The truth is that I care deeply for your sister and…”
“My sister is engaged to Rafe Stanley. And she will be married to him. It has been decided,” Simon spat, squaring up to Harold.
It was ridiculous. Harold had several inches of height over Simon and was broader across the shoulder too. Alice saw the tension in Harold’s body, the effort he was putting into maintaining an even tone. She stepped up beside him and took his hand, squeezing tight, wanting to remind him she was there.
“Rafe Stanley does not seem so keen to me,” Harold said.
“What does that matter to you?” Simon demanded in a rising tone. “Was my brother’s fiancée not so keen on him? Is that why you seduced her? Drove her to…”
Harold moved forward, tearing free of Alice’s grip. He raised a finger under Simon’s nose.
“One more word. Just say it and you will regret it,” Harold hissed.
Alice hurried forward, once again grabbing for Harold’s arm. The man was like a coiled spring. He could explode at any moment and she feared for Simon if he found himself the object of that anger.
“Drove her to take her own life,” Simon finished, applying relish to the words.
Harold’s arm flew back in preparation to strike. Alice chose that moment to press herself against him, attempting to restrain him. His elbow caught her a blow on the temple and she staggered back, lights exploding in front of her face. As she staggered back, she saw Harold’s ashed face turning towards her, looking stricken. Simon’s gaze was fixed on his nemesis, he was shouting angrily and lunging for Harold with hands outstretched, as though reaching for his throat.
Alice reached for Harold, feeling as though she was moving through treacle. Everything was slowed, all the movement around her. Each step seemed to take an hour to complete. Until the last one. The last backward, staggering step she took was into empty space. Her foot moved from the top step of the stone staircase and found nothing beneath it to support her. She fell backward.
Simon, Harold, Ruth, and Gordon were lost to sight. The house rose up in her vision, then was lost to sight as she fell away from it. Something hard and unyielding struck her elbow, then the small of her back. She twisted herself to one side, knowing that it would be safer to roll that way down the steep steps than to go head over heels. Something struck the back of her head and her vision became a blaze of super-bright stars. Then another blow and everything went black.
“Alice!” Harold cried as he felt something impact with his elbow.
