Well, there we were at this little dance which was to prove so fatal to my future.

The carriage was sent over for me, which was considerate of my aunt, for it would have been awkward to walk from the vicarage to the great house in all my finery.

I arrived before the other guests and went to Jessamy's room. She was in a blue silk dress, all frills and flounces. My heart sank, for it was the wrong color for Jessamy; frills did not really suit her. She looked best in her gray riding habit with its severely tailored coat and the topper with the gray silk band round it.

As usual she was delighted to see me looking so well in the dress.

"It's lovely," she cried. "Why do my things always look better on you than on me?"

"Dear Jessamy, you imagine it," I lied, for I was never haunted by Janet's truth-at-any-price philosophy. "And you look lovely."

"Oh, I don't. Everything is getting so tight. Why do I put on weight? You're as slim as a wand."

"I move about more than you do, Jessamy. Heaven knows I eat as much. But you're only pleasantly plump. Mary Macklin said men like plump women and she should know."

I giggled, for Mary Macklin was our local light lady whom Aunt Amy Jane was trying to shift from the village.

"Did she tell you?" asked Jessamy.

"Oh no, it's only hearsay."

Just at that moment Uncle Timothy came in. He was carrying two little white cardboard boxes.

"For my girls," he said, looking at us with pride.

Inside the boxes were orchids. I cried out with delight. This was just what I needed to add a touch of elegance to my made-over gown. The orchids had been chosen with care, for they matched our dresses to perfection.

Uncle Timothy was standing there looking like a pleased schoolboy and suddenly I thought how good he was. He had given the Planters Crabtree Cottage and to me a beautiful orchid which matched my dress perfectly.

I put down my flower on Jessamy's table and put my arms about Uncle Timothy's neck. I kissed him vehemently. And just at that moment my aunt came in.

"What is going on here?" she demanded.

I withdrew my arms and said: "Uncle Timothy has given us such beautiful orchids."

Uncle Timothy looked slightly red and apologetic and my aunt continued: "You seem to be acting in a very boisterous manner. Now I will pin the flower on your dress, Jessamy. There is a right place and a wrong place."

Uncle Timothy said: "Well, I'll be going. There is a lot to see to."

"There is indeed," replied my aunt coolly.

I went to the mirror and pinned on my orchid. I was delighted with it and I noticed Aunt Amy Jane casting one or two malevolent glances in my direction.

Captain Lauder was one of the guests. He was in his early twenties, I imagined, tall, graceful and debonair. He was the son of Sir Geoffrey Lauder and it was clear that he and his family were among the more important members of the company, for Aunt Amy Jane was very gracious to them.

Captain Lauder was presented to Jessamy and they danced together. He was very charming and put Jessamy at her ease immediately, which was not without its difficulties, for I knew she persistently regarded herself as inferior in some way. However, she blossomed with Captain Lauder and it occurred to me that Jessamy was really quite attractive; all she needed was someone to convince her so strongly of this that she believed it herself.

I had plenty of dances and now and then noticed Aunt Amy Jane watching me cautiously. I hoped I had not done anything amiss, for I did so enjoy gatherings like this and should hate to be banished from them. There was so much to enjoy at the time and laugh about afterwards. I danced the supper dance with a pleasant young man who was a soldier and when we went in to supper we ran into Jessamy and Captain Lauder.

"Here's my cousin," said Jessamy.

Captain Lauder turned and looked at me. Admiration shone from his eyes as he took my hand and kissed it.

"You're Miss Anabel Campion," he said. "Miss Seton has been telling me about you."

I grimaced and Jessamy said quickly: "Only nice things."

"Thank you for keeping back the rest," I replied.

Everybody laughed.

The four of us sat down together and it was a very jolly party, but every time I looked up Captain Lauder's eyes were on me.

When we left the supper room he was at my side.

"I should like to have a dance with you," he said.

"Well," I answered, "they are just starting something."

We danced together.

"You're beautiful," he said.

That was not true but I had long since learned that if people had a good opinion of you, however misguided, it was best to let them keep it.

"I wish I had found you earlier," he went on.

"But I am sure you have been enjoying the evening in spite of the lack of my company."

He laughed: "You're the daughter of the vicar, I hear."

"Oh dear, Jessamy has been supplying you with information."

"She is very fond of you."

"And I of her. She is a delightful person."

"Yes, yes, I gathered that. I am still wishing, though, that I had found the intriguing Miss Campion earlier."

"What charming things you say."

"You sound as though you doubt my veracity."

"Should I? I have such a high opinion of myself that it hadn't occurred to me not to accept all the nice things you are implying about me."

"Do you find it hot? Shall we slip outside?"

Now of course I should have said no. But I did not. I was too warm and I wanted to discover how outrageous Aunt Amy Jane's cherished guest could be.

There was a half-moon among the stars out there.

"You look enchanting in moonlight," he said.

"It's less revealing," I replied.

He had drawn me under the shade of a tree and put his arms about me.

I withdrew myself. "On sober consideration," I said, "I think we should go back to the ballroom."

"Sober consideration is impossible when you are near me."

He had suddenly seized me in a viselike grip from which I could not extricate myself. Then his lips were on mine.

This had happened far more quickly than I had thought it could. I had no wish to be in the gardens, kissed forcibly by a man whom I scarcely knew. But he was stronger than I.

Then I heard a cough, and so did he, for he released me. To my horror Aunt Amy Jane was coming towards us.

"Oh," she said in a startled voice when she saw who it was she had caught kissing under one of her trees. Then she added: "Captain Lauder ... and ... er ... Anabel. My child, you will catch cold. Go in at once."

I was only too pleased to escape. As I did so I heard my aunt continue imperturbably: "I do want to show you my hydrangeas, Captain Lauder. While we are out here ..."

I went straight to Jessamy's bedroom. I was ruffled and slightly pink. There was a red mark on my cheek. I touched it gingerly. It would soon go.

I tidied myself and went back to the ballroom. Jessamy was there dancing with one of the neighboring squires.

The next day I was expecting a reprimand from Aunt Amy Jane. She had actually seen the captain kissing me and I was sure that as he had been one of her favorite guests I should be blamed for what had happened. Captain Lauder was of too good a family, too rich a family, to be in the wrong. He was an eligible bachelor and the discovery of the ideal gentleman in that category was her next project and one which she would pursue with single-minded purpose. Therefore, if he had been seen to act in an unseemly manner, he could only have been led into the indiscretion.

I was amazed that not a word was said to me, although I caught her looking at me rather oddly now and then.

For a while I allowed myself to believe she had forgotten. But Aunt Amy Jane would never forget.

Thus, when Jessamy and her parents were to pay a visit to Mateland Castle, I was not invited, although but for that incident I was sure I should have been, for I often went visiting as a companion for Jessamy,  and Jessamy always  begged  that  I should go with them. I was sure she did on this occasion, but Aunt Amy Jane was adamant.

So I did not go to Mateland Castle. If I had gone things might have turned out differently. I know it would have been different, and I should not be writing this to you, Suewellyn. Your life and mine would have gone on smoother lines. How the great events of our lives hang on flimsy chances. Yours and mine could have been so different... and all because of an unwanted kiss under an oak tree!

Jessamy returned from Mateland Castle in a state which I can only describe as bemused. For a time I could get no sense out of her; then an amazing truth began to emerge.

Jessamy had wakened up; she had become animated, which was what I always thought she needed to make her attractive. In the place of the gangling girl was a personable young woman.

Of course I lost no time in drawing the story from her.

Mateland Castle, it appeared, was an enchanted place. It was a combination of El Dorado, Utopia and the Elysian Fields. It was inhabited by gods and the occasional goddess; and nothing would ever be the same for Jessamy now that she had set foot within those magic portals.

"I shall never forget my first sight of it," she said. "We alighted from the train and the Mateland carriage was waiting to take us to the castle. I shall never forget riding along those lanes... ."

"Ill accept the fact that it has engraved itself in your memory forever. You've mentioned that twice. Get on, Jessamy."

"Well, it's just what you think a castle should be. It's medieval."

"Most castles are. Never mind about the castle. What about the people?"

"Oh, the people ..." She half closed her eyes and sighed. "There's Egmont Mateland ..."

"Egmont! A medieval name to go with the castle."

"Anabel, if you are going to interrupt and make fun, I shall not tell you."

I was amazed. Signs of revolt in our docile Jessamy! Yes, something had indeed happened.

"There's Egmont," I went on. "Go on from there."

"He is the father."

"Father of whom?"

"David and Joel. David has the dearest little boy named Esmond. He, of course, will be the heir to the castle."

"How interesting," I said coolly, feigning a complete lack of that state.

"Of course, if you don't want to hear ..."

"Of course I want to hear. But you're so slow."

"All right, there are two brothers, David and Joel. David is the elder and he is married to Emerald."

"I like the names."

"You're interrupting again, Anabel. If you want to hear ..."

"Oh, I do. I do," I said humbly.

"David manages the estate, which is considerable. Joel is a doctor... ."

Ah, I thought. It's Joel. I knew my Jessamy too well not to recognize the change in her voice when she said his name. I also noticed the slight emotional twitch of her lips.

"Tell me about the doctor," I said.

"He's such a good man, Anabel. I mean he really does a lot of good ... to a lot of people."

I found my interest flagging a little. People who did a lot of good to a lot of people were, I discovered, often indifferent to individuals. They liked people en masse, not individually. Moreover, they were usually so wrapped up in their good works that they became a little boring outside them. My only interest in Joel was the effect he had had on Jessamy.

"How?" I asked.

"With his work, of course. He has a place in the little town. The castle is outside the town ... right in the country. He lives in the castle with his family, of course. The Matelands have lived there for centuries."

"Since the days of the Conqueror, I bet."

"You're laughing at them again. No, it was not since the days of the Conqueror. The castle was built one hundred years after he came to England."

"I see you have the family history at your fingertips. Very commendable after one short visit."

"I feel as though I have known Mateland all my life."

"The castle or its fascinating inmates?"

"You know what I mean."

"I believe I do, Jessamy. Tell me more of the intriguing Joel Mateland."

"He is the younger son."

"Yes, you told me that, he having an elder brother, David, with a delightful son, Esmond, begotten in co-operation with the glittering Emerald. I have them and Grandpa Egmont settled in my mind. Now tell me about Joel."