I was having a quiet drink with a close friend of mine, in a small country pub, in Hampshire. A complete stranger looked interested in me, he was brown haired delightfully appealing but? But? But what, I was sitting there with a sweet white wine in my hand, I held it thinking of him, I took a sip of the alcohol, thinking of him, Steed. How I wanted to be with him, wanted him to hold me, touch me, just to be with me and take me away from this, what I�d become.
I sat there, not really paying any attention to Helen, I was just lost in my own thoughts.
When Helen abruptly said; �Emma, are you listening?� She strictly emphasised the �are you�.
I replied, �Sorry Helen, what were you saying?�
Helen casually replied, �Really Emma, if I�m going to go on talking to myself I might as well��
�I�m sorry Helen, is it really that necessary for me to know what you were saying?� I frustratingly replied to her.
�Well if you�d only listened!� Helen, spat at me.
�Anyway� I was saying about this Ministry Party, Terry and I have been invited to.� Helen gingerly said. Helen was one of my closest friends, we met while my Father still ran �Knights Industries�, she is quite intelligent, this �intelligence� from Helen�s point of view had to be well defined but she was a very good secretary, and a good friend.
�Well what about it?� I inquired, rather icily.
�Well Terry has a spare ticket, and you�re always working too much, and erm�I thought you might want to come along?� Helen said.
�I don�t know�erm.� I replied.
�Oh, come on Emma, you haven�t been yourself lately and this is just the thing to get you back to your old self again!� Helen, told me.
�Alright then, when is it?�I replied.
�Its on at this huge Country Manor in Surrey, on Saturday.� Helen said.
�This Saturday?� I enquired.
�Yes, its alright about the driving. Terry said we would be able to pick you up at around 6pm, and then head off to Surrey. Its about an hours drive, so its best we pick you up then. So how about it Emma?� Helen said to me, while she looked at me awaiting a reply.
�Alright, I�ll come.� I eventually said.
�Great! It�ll be fun Emma you�ll see.� Helen, rather hysterically said.
After agreeing to Helen�s invite we shared a couple more glasses of white wine, and left about an hour later. Well it is Wednesday, so I have technically three days to shop for a new outfit. Oh, well. I suppose it will be a change.
The night of the Party
What to wear, what to wear? I�d bought two outfits while I was out shopping this afternoon. Already, I was in two minds about what I should wear. The Black or the Purple? Well the Purple does go with those shoes I bought at Selfridges. But the Black does go well with the shoes I bought a month ago. Oh, forget it. I�m not going. I said while throwing both dresses on the bed. I know I was being childish, but its my duty to look my best. So after I tried on half my wardrobe, I opted for the purple, after all it did suit me better, and it did look good with my shoes. Anyway, after I changed I sat in my armchair in the sitting room, and waited for Helen. It was only five minutes later when the doorbell rang. It was Helen, we exchanged a few words and descended the stairs to the car. As always Helen talked endlessly, not being nasty or anything, but I just wasn�t in the mood for a long conversation. Anyway, I was only going to this party to make her happy, even if it may not be the best time for me to be out at the moment. It had been three weeks after Steed had phoned me, three weeks and he hadn�t phoned again. Maybe he was too busy? Maybe he didn�t want to talk to me again? Maybe he thought I didn�t want to talk to him? What ever the reason was I just wanted to block the thoughts out of my mind, but I try as hard as I can but I can�t forget him.
An hour and fifteen minutes later, we had traffic problems on the motorway we finally pulled up to this Grand Country Mansion, I didn�t catch the name of it as Terry had joined the conversation by then and so I missed the name-plate at the entrance, because he was talking about Knight�s Industries. Anyway, 7:20pm, and we pulled up to the doorway. Well what a doorway, what a house. Beautiful, I could see stables to the side of the house, and we had already had the safari tour of the grounds just by entering the estate along the driveway. Gardens, shrubbery, it was magnificent. Who ever owned this estate certainly was high up in the Ministry.
We exited the car and walked over the gravel of the driveway, and were escorted through the house. The party was already in full swing, so I must assume we had arrived late. I managed to get a glass of Champagne from a passing waiter. Mmmm, �71 I think, nice but not a good year. Helen and I casually strolled over to the French Windows leading out to from what I saw to be the gardens. We stood there for a while chatting, sipping the champagne. While I was doing so I began to scan the room, seeing young and old men, talking to young and old women, laughing obviously enjoying themselves. I began to feel somewhat uneasy, they were all couples in the room. Terry who had gone off previously to talk to his collegees from the Ministry joined Helen and me, saying �Would any of you ladies like another drink?� Nodding we confirmed a replying �Yes please�. Continuing our shallow conversation, Helen and I were rejoined by Terry a few moments later, returning with two flutes of champagne, thanking him I took one from him, and placed the empty glass on a tray of a passing waiter. Just as Helen was about to speak to Terry, I noticed a figure from the other end of the room tall, dark hair, broad shoulders. But a woman was blocking my view, she was tall also, blonde, thin, long legged, a little like a dancer. Just as she stepped aside my heart leapt, at the revealing face it was Steed!