Loves moves in mysterious ways

Chapter 12

God knows, they had got her all Paired off with James! Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she fought to stop herself from bursting into hysterical giggles.

Later,when she was on her own with her mother, she would tell her that her matchmaking plans were doomed to failure and why.

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask James acidly what he intended to tell Jessa, but she managed to resist the temperation.

He might be taking her to the ball,but there was no doubt in Kirstin's mind whom he would be partnering once they were there.Put your gown on for me ,

I'm dying to see it.

It was almost coffe time, and James has been gone for several hours.

Kirstin and her mother were alone in the house,and dutifully Kirstin went into her her own room and change into her ballgown dress.

The look in her mother's eyes and the silence when she saw her brought a tiny thrill of pleasure to Kirstin's heart.

Do you like it? she asking......Wow so beautiful Kirstin you look so lovely...... ...There's a mask to go with it.

Kirstin demonstrated black with gold to put on the mask disguise.

So Beautiful.......!

Kirstin told to her about how she had come by her ballgown dress.

What a great idea! Is Carol pleased about the baby?

For the first time Kirstin was able to talk to her mother about Carol and John's relationship without any constraint,knowing now that John was no longer attracted to her.

Yes,I'm afraid there's always a penalty to be paid for marriage to that type of powerfully attractive man.

Often for all their intelligence, they can be like small children, fatally attracted to sticky but nutritionally useless sweets. "

Kirstin laughed at her mother's wry words.

At least with your father I never had anything like that to worry about.

Now James's a very attractive and powerful man, but he has the strength and the resoluteness to avoid falling into that sort of trap.

He doesn't have that sort of ego,for one thing, and for another, I suspect that he's a man who, once he loves, will stay faithful to that love through up and down ."

It was Kirstin's opening to warm her mother that she was cherishing misplaced hopes.

Taking a deep breath, she said as slightly as she could, It sounds like Jessa's going to be a very lucky woman,then."

In the silence that followed she couldn't bring herself to look at her mother,

and then the latter said softly,Oh my sweetheart...I'm so sorry...Are you sure?

Yes; Kirstin told her shakily.

She forced a tight smile to her mouth as she turned to face her mother.

I know how much you love him,Kirstin',Grace Smith told her quietly, and I had thought..... that is your father and I she bit her lip.

I'm more sorry than I can say,my swettie.

I thought this time .....Now that you're both gown up.....'

Unable to bear listening to any more,

Kirstin pick up the mini skirts of her dres and escaped into her her own room.It was no use telling herself that it was stupid and,worse still,

pointless for adult woman of twenty-six to fling herself down on her bed and cry as though her heart was breaking for a man who would always be reach, but that was exactly what she did.

It was coffee time before she had enough self control to face the world again.

Although she had bathed her face in warm water,her eyes remained suspiciously pinkish, but tactfully her mother said nothing about James when she went back to ask her if she would like something to drink,

instead chatting to Kirstin about her visit to Germany.

Four days later at a committee meeting of the fundraising committee,

Kirstin had a brief chance to speak to James alone.

The Others had all left, and her father was standing outside the Personage talking to the General"James.....about the Night Ball.

There's really no need to pick me up and bring me back at home.

I'd really prefer to......

What do you like?...... to be with or to be escorted by your taken lover?

'His mouth twisted with what was becoming familiar contempt.

Why don't you ask him to do so,then Kirstin, or are you afraid that he wouldn't leave his wife?Men like that rarely do,you know.

The arrangement ist still, I'll pick it up you..'

Tense with frustration, Kirstin heard her father call out to her.

You'd better to go,"

James told her, opening the office room for her,.

She paused, torn between leaving and staying to argue with him, and then the phone ring.

As she hesitated he pick up the receiver, his voice deepening with pleasure, a smile curling his mouth as he said warmly into the mouthpiece, 'Jessa!Of course I've missed you.............."

Later Kirstin wasn't quite sure how she go to the car.

She only knew that she was shaking almost violently with a mixture of rage and jealousy as her father drove them home.A phone call from a General towards the end of the week to check up on the final details for the Mask Night Ball' took Kirstin over to his Burg Imperial House set against the backdrop of fields and hills.

and had once belonged to Frau Samantha estate,and the General's father had purchased it from them just after the second World war.

He lived alone in the attractive red brick villa, look after bya daily cleaning care taker from the village,and by his personal servant.

Who had left the cops,at the same time as the General.

Kirstin had only been inside the house once or twice, but she had heard a lot about it from her parents,

who had been been for supper and to play bridge on several occasions, and she was already prepared for the almost spartan neatness when the General personal bodyguard opened the door for her.

A long time ago,whe he had first left the cop's.

the Major's pernickety ways had caused comment among the City's but now they were used to him that he no longer drew their awe.

Indulgent amusement was probably a closer description of the locals attitude towards the police like way in which the General ran his Rancho at his house.

And Kirstin almost expected him to ask her if she ready to take or anything to drink or to eat.

As her escorted into his library room."A painting of his father hung above the fire, and Kirstin noted their physical similarities as she sat down.

The General saw her recognising portrait smiled at her. My Dad,was a fine man ".

He told her proudly, his smile turning to an almost under his breath.

Even if there were those hereabouts who thought him beneath them......'

It was such an odd remark for him to make that Kirstin was nonplussed for a moment.

As as she was aware, everyone in the locale held the General, if not in esteem, then in a certain amount of awe.

He was known for his strict fairness and adherence to a code long since gone out of fashion, but a fairer or more moral man Kirstin doubted that anyone could find,

and she had assumed that this family had been held the same good reputation.

However, she wasn't allowed to pursue the matter even mentally, because the General had a long list on his table in front of him,

and he was clearing his throat preparatory to getting down to business.

It amused Kirstin to realised that he had even listed his queries alphabetically.

'Now,about the Night dance. He cleared his throat again, and if she hadn't known better Kirstin might almost have thought he was slightly embarrassed.

I don't know what you have in mind, Kirstin....but I hope there'll be music for the older brigade to dance to.

It took several seconds for his meaning to sink in,but once it had Kirstin hid a small grin.

It wouldn't to do hurt his feelings by letting him think she was laughing at him.

A great many of the tickets have been sold out to the people in their twenties and thirties and above ', she told him,

and of course, since this is a romantic occasion, they'll expecting appropriate dance music.

I've provisionally arranged a small combo who will play romantic music and of course the more love songs slower numbers.

They come well recommended they're play alot of local romantic songs.

but if you'd like to interview them yourself....they've also offered to play for free since it's for a good cause....

No.....no....that sounds really good.

Have you seen the ballroom the Manor yet?

Kirstin hadn't and been loath to ring up Frau Samantha and ask if she might lest it brought her into contact with Jessa.She had no idea whether or not the other woman had returned from Germany,

Although with the ball only just over a week away,it seemed unlikely that she would stay away much longer.

Than,I've taken the power of arranging to show it to you today ',.

The General suggested.

Kirstin wasn't quite quick enough to conceal her surprise.As far as she knew,

The General and Frau Samantha were such a enemies that neither was likely to contact the other voluntarily.

If you've got the time we could drive over there once we've gone through these queries.

As John Secretary ,Kirstin was skilled at ferreting out and finding the impossible; nevertheless she left pleased when they reached the end of the list and the General complemented her on her work.

Everyone she had approached in connection with the ball had given their services freely.

A local flower decorators had agreed to decorate the dancing ballroom,

and Kirstin liked the General's suggestion.

That he contact an acquaintance of his who freelanced for The Daily Inquire and Morning Magazine with a view to doing a piece on the Night romantic occasion for those publications.

Almost an hour later they set out for the Manor, Kirstin driving behind General in his ancient but immaculately kept Daimler.

She was familiar with the grounds of the Manor from various Gala and summer fairs,

but she had only rarely been inside.

Over the years the house had grown from the original Borders' fortress into a rambling collection of various styles of architecture,

with the interior being remodelled by nineteen- century Samantha, who had happened to get on the right side of Elector Sulivan.

There was no sign of Frau Samantha when they were shown up an impressive flight of stairs to the ballroom.

The strong winter sunshine was not kind, revealing unsightly patches of damp and cracks in the ornate plaster ceiling, and the General shook his head sadly over the rooms deterioration.

I remember dancing here the year I was twenty-two. You should have seen it.

I'll always remember the scent of the gardenias decorating the room.

It was lit with chandeliers"lost in the past, he looked round the room.

Darkness and soft illuminations would be kind to its fading honor,

Kirstin recognised, and nothing could ever detract from its elegant proportion.

She felt a deep inward sadness as she realised how impossible it must be for someone like Frau Samantha to afford all the renovation work that was necessary.

Houses like these simply ate up money, and the families who had built and cherished them could often no longer afford their maintenance.

Jack was twenty-two that year as well. He died at the beginning of the operation service. "

Jack?...... Sheila he cough himself up his ruddy complexion darkening slightly, as he amended, Frau Samantha's husband Daniel.

He was her cousin. He was killed in action at the beginning of the second war.

Kirstin told her Mum, about the sadly deteriorating state of the ball room when she returned at her house.

And about the the General's revelations about the Samantha's family.

Yes,I seem to remember someone once mentioning that Frau Samantha was widowed as a bride.Her husband was the only heir to the title, I believe.

I've also heard it rumoured that the marriage was an arranged one.

Her father was apparently a very proud man.Since he had no sons of his own to inherit,

he decided that his daughter should marry her only male friend preserve the family own.

I wonder if she love him; Kirstin mused.I don't know.Tell me, what have you got planned for to serve for eat and drinks?

Kirstin allowed herself to be diverted.

Evey one's been wonderfully helpful. The CJH are providing the buffet, which reminds me Mrs, Madeline ask me if she could use your strawberry souffle recipe and they are taking care of setting up the tables and chairs in a couple of rooms of the ball room.

The General's donating some fillet or chowder.

The General owned and fished small slice of salmon river north Sea.

And Mrs, Smith grinned as Kirstin told her this. His freezer is full of the stuff, but he hates parting with it normally.

They went on to discuss the flowers decoration of the ballroom,

and they were still deep in discussion when Kirstin's Dad,returned from work.

The weekend brought o forecast snap of cold weather, lowering the temperature and freezing the countryside in an icy grip.

One Evening when James was expected to visit her Mum,they received a telephone call, that he had been delayed because of the heavy road accident just outside Bavaria. Dr,Sampson had gone to the hospital with the ambulance, the receptionist told Kirstin.

He may have to stay to help out of the operating theatre, but I'll be in touch with you as soon as I know anything.

Kirstin's Mum,

shivered slightly when Kirstin told her.My God heal souls," I only hope that all of them are good condition.

What I can't understand is why?

James chose to come back here ", Kirstin mused,following her own private thought.