Page 28 of Fire Must Burn

Her smile faded.

‘The lucky gent died not long after giving me this,’ she said. ‘About six months back. I wear it in his memory, and to fend off unwanted attention.’

He straightened almost convulsively in his seat.

‘Oh, no, Sparks,’ he said, his merriment gone. ‘I’m so sorry. Please forgive me, I never would have mentioned it.’

‘Nothing to forgive, Tony,’ she said, reaching across and clasping his hand for a moment. ‘You didn’t know. And—’ She held his hand up. ‘I see you’re ringless. No luck with the locals while you were there?’

‘My adventures have not been conducive to lasting romance,’ he said ruefully. ‘A marriage bureau, eh? Have you actually produced any marriages?’

‘Many,’ she said. ‘Business is thriving, in fact.’

‘Maybe—’ he began. Then he shook his head.

‘Maybe what?’ she prompted him.

‘I was wondering if perhaps I should avail myself of your services.’

‘Really?’

‘I am back in England, and have a real job with prospects of advancement,’ he said, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself. ‘But this milieu is as much a social one as it is a political one, and it has been suggested that I would present myself more advantageously as a married man.’

‘Don’t you know anyone here?’

‘Everyone I knew here, I knew nine years ago,’ he said. ‘More, in most cases. And after nine years, you stop recognising the people you once knew.’

‘You recognised me,’ she pointed out.

‘You are the special case among all of them,’ he said. ‘You wouldn’t want to marry me, would you, Sparks? It could be awfully fun.’

‘Sorry, Tony,’ she said. ‘I need more than fun at this point in my life.’

‘Perfectly understandable,’ he said. ‘Would it be odd taking on a friend as a client?’

‘Not at all,’ she said. ‘In fact, when we started the business we began by ringing up every unattached friend we had to beg them to sign up. There was a great deal of giggling in that first set of interviews, but there were some early successes, and we’ve been at it ever since. If you’d like to give it a try, it’s five pounds to start.’

‘And then what happens?’

‘We interview you, get your goals and preferences, then search through our eligible females for the ones we deem most suitable and set you up for a first date.’

‘How personal is this interview?’ he asked.

‘Personal,’ she said. ‘This isn’t for a job. It’s for marriage.’

‘Is it confidential?’

‘We don’t have any legal confidentiality,’ said Sparks. ‘We’re not lawyers or doctors. But otherwise we maintain it professionally.’

‘So you can keep secrets,’ he said.

‘I can,’ she said, looking straight at him. ‘I can, and I have.’

‘Well, sounds like five pounds is worth the risk,’ he said. ‘Do I make an appointment, or just show up?’

‘Either,’ she said, reaching into her bag for a card. ‘Here’s the number. And, by the way, that’s also the number where you can reach me, even if you don’t want our services. I want to renew the friendship more than anything else.’

That was true, she thought to her surprise and regret.