Most of the men had taken her news with surprising grace. She supposed the wedding and the presence of all the women had made the rejection easier to take. They’d moved on to wooing and dancing with others, leaving Mercy content to mingle with the younger girls and listen to their tales about their new positions as domestics.

She was praying such an arrangement with a wealthy family would open up for herself. She’d be right happy being a domestic, a scullery maid, anything.

Miss Lawrence approached, fanning herself rapidly, her delicate face flushed, framed by her rich auburn hair. The beautiful gentlewoman had been surrounded by plenty of men, including the naval officer who’d been paying particular attention to her.

“Mercy,” she hissed as she drew near, casting an anxious glance over her shoulder. “I need to hide.”

“Hide?” Mercy scanned the crowd. “What’s to hide from?”

Miss Lawrence was attired in a lovely gown of deep emerald that highlighted her pale skin and the stunning color of her hair. But even as she moved nearer, Mercy could see the tension in her thin body and the fear in her eyes.

“Please help me,” she whispered, grasping Mercy with her silky gloved hands. “Please.”

Mercy immediately stepped aside and drew the woman into the shadows of the tapestry so that the heavy curtains nearly concealed her.

“Is he looking this way?” Miss Lawrence asked.

“Who?”

“The man who just entered. The one with the bald head and red bow tie.”

Mercy scanned the hall but found no one watching her or Miss Lawrence. There was indeed a short, balding man with a red bow tie, yet his attention was focused on one of the women of the welcoming committee.

“I see him—he’s not paying you any heed.”

Miss Lawrence poked her head out from behind the curtains. She watched the balding man for a moment before sagging back against the wall, the anxiety leaving her face, replaced by embarrassment. She extricated herself from the thick tapestry and took a wobbly step away from the wall.

Without explaining any further, Miss Lawrence began to skirt the room, hurrying toward the door, clearly wanting to exit the party. Why was Miss Lawrence so flustered?

“Come dance.” Ann’s voice interrupted Mercy’s contemplation. The girl’s face was pretty and full of life. Soon enough Ann and the other orphans would be attracting the men. But for now, Mercy was relieved that they could just be girls.

“I’m right happy to watch you dance,” Mercy replied. “That’s enough for me.”

But was it enough? As happy as she was for her friends, and as happy as she was to be free from Mr. Scott’s scheming, her heart had been heavy over the past couple of days. Maybe she’d be content once she had a job or was using her God-given gifts. Maybe she’d be content once Patience arrived.