"Deportment means behaving yourself, Arabella, not dancing.

"Oh, I knew that." lied Arabella.

"I always behave myself and no, dancing has not passed me by.  I expect to be dancing - in fact, I expect the commanding officer of that army at the fort will be asking me for a dance or two," Matilda said rather proudly.

“The COLONEL?!!” Arabella gasped. She looked wide eyed and open mouthed at Ralph and then back at her diminutive boss. She had never quite understood why Mr Flandry and Ms Matilda weren’t together. Not married, necessarily, she knew vaguely that Matilda had had an unhappy previous marriage that had ended badly (very badly for her husband) so she wasn’t surprised they weren’t hitched. But they were both attractive, alone, in the same building all the time… At first she had assumed that they were illicit lovers and listened carefully every night for a tell-tale creak on the hallway floorboards outside their rooms. But no. Nothing. She had finally accepted that there was no romance between them.

EXCEPT!... what if the sight of Ms Devereau waltzing in the arms of the gallant Colonel raised some hidden spark of jealousy or desire in Mr Flandry’s inert and wasted heart? Oh, that would be just bonny!

“Oh the Colonel is so handsome and dashing, that’s wonderful! I am so jealous. I seen him one time at the telegraph office and he was just the most attractive looking man and had such beautiful golden blond hair and flashing blue eyes and such a grand military bearing.” she cooed, ostensibly at Matilda, but reciting this litany of praise mainly for Ralph’s benefit.

“Won’t Missis D. look wonderful being held in the Colonel’s big strong arms, Mr. Flandry?” she asked pointedly.