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paintings were untouched.’ Then she found herself having to repress a smirk as the thought once again occurred to her that no thief in his right mind would want to steal Dermot Leahey’s work.
    ‘Naturally, Leahey is most distressed,’ Mr Denham said and Annabel thought he looked at her a little oddly. ‘However, the notoriety of the theft has leant not unwelcome publicity to his exhibition and he has managed to contain his feelings.’
    ‘I see,’ said Annabel as gravely as she could. At that moment Aunt Delilah and Madeline bustled out of the dressmaker’s shop.
    Mr Denham glanced at Madeline and said hastily. ‘I must be going, I have an appointment at the Royal Exchange. No doubt I will see you at Lockton House tomorrow night?’
    Annabel felt her spirits soar. ‘I shall be there,’ she said, and waited for him to say he hoped she would reserve a dance for him, but he did not and she felt herself deflate a little.
    ‘Until then,’ Mr Denham tipped his hat at her briefly and crossed swiftly back to the other side of the street. She watched for a few seconds until he disappeared from sight among the bustling crowd, supposing that really they had only conversed for a few minutes, but for the moment all other memories of the afternoon seemed to have fled.
     
    Justine really did seem different this year, Jack mused. Perhaps she had grown up over the winter. Instead of the disdainful, though amusing remarks he would have expected her to make about Dermot Leahey all he got were coy looks whenever his name came up. Come to think about it, Leahey’s name seemed to come up all too readily. Surely Justine wasn’t developing a tendre for the artist? He was sure he had seen a smile hovering on her lips when she spoke of him. Impatiently he brushed the irritating thought aside. Justine was far too worldly to settle for a dilettante like Leahey, he need have no concerns there.
     
    Mrs Price went on her way and Annabel and her cousins made their way back to Bond Street. On the way there they passed a milliners which Madeline declared she must dive into and Annabel, her interest in apparel waning, resigned herself to a long wait, but Aunt Delilah, presumably used to Madeline’s ways after three prior seasons, ensured that their carriage was not kept waiting at the appointed place above fifteen minutes and soon they were on their way to Annabel’s home in Bedford square where they were to take tea.
    ‘Did you have a successful afternoon?’ Mrs Black enquired, long since returned from her committee meeting.
    ‘Oh yes,’ Annabel said. ‘I found the most beautiful material for a ball dress, and my cousins found plenty they liked, why Madeline bought mountains of fabric!’
    ‘Oh, not mountains, my dear,’ Aunt Delilah said at once. ‘But with her colouring, so many shades suit her and it is hard to choose.’ It was true, Annabel thought. Both her cousins had fair hair and blue eyes and were of a more delicate build than herself and they looked pretty in anything, but thinking of the red silk and the gold lace, Annabel knew that on one evening at least, with her own warm brown hair and eyes, and in that dress, she would eclipse them.
    ‘I am glad that Madeline found plenty that will be to her advantage,’ Mrs Black said mildly, ‘after all she is in her fourth season. Now I am sure you are all parched. I shall ring for some tea.’
    ‘How was your afternoon, Aunt Judith?’ Augusta said innocently into the slight silence that followed.
    ‘Most productive,’ Mrs Black smiled warmly at her younger niece. ‘I have written a letter to my friend Mrs Grigson, whom I have discovered is the cousin of the Bishop of Southwark and I am optimistic that she will be able to use her influence with him to improve conditions for the orphans in that diocese.’
    ‘Very commendable,’ Aunt Delilah said, and then inexplicably she and Annabel’s mother laughed.
    ‘Chalk and cheese,’ Mrs Black said, but she spoke more warmly