But she had no one to blame but herself, so with a slight flush on her cheeks, which was due to embarrassment, she walked in to find several ladies seated while a number of gentlemen, very elegant in their tailcoats and tight white breeches, conversed with them as they sipped a glass of wine.

For a moment Gretna stood hesitant in the doorway and then Maria looked up and saw her.

“Ah, here you are, dearest,” she said. “I was just wondering what could have delayed you. Let me present you to my friends.”

She took Gretna by the hand and presented her to each lady in turn. Gretna curtseyed demurely and knew by the gracious condescension of each head that she was accepted.

It was then the turn of the gentlemen and, while they each made her a most elegant bow, Gretna was puzzling her brain as to which was likely to prove an old friend when another name was announced by the butler from the doorway.

“Sir Harry Carrington.”

Gretna gave a definite start of surprise as Maria went forward with her hand outstretched.

“Sir Harry, I am so pleased to see you,” she greeted the young gallant whom Gretna had last seen at Stade Hall. “And here is someone you told me last night you were very anxious to meet again, my dear friend, Miss Gretna Hayden.”

Sir Harry bowed and then said eagerly,

“Indeed I was so consumed with anxiety to renew our acquaintance and that was why I besought Mistress Fitzherbert to invite me here today.”

“How did you know – who I was?” Gretna asked him.

He looked surprised at the question.

“I had a glimpse of you, of course, last night at Carlton House. Did you think you would not be recognised?”

“I am afraid my disguise was not as good – as I had hoped,” Gretna answered a little ruefully, remembering all too vividly that the Marquis had not been deceived either.

“I tried to speak to you,” Sir Harry went on. “But you disappeared in the crowd and hunt as I would I could not find you again. But I had seen you arrive with Mistress Fitzherbert and so I told her how much I wanted to find you and she was gracious enough to invite me here today.”

“It all sounds very simple,” Gretna smiled and then, in a low voice so that no one could overhear her she asked, “Did you tell Mistress Fitzherbert where we met?”

“I’m no gabster,” Sir Harry answered. “And there was such a crush at Carlton House that it was difficult to utter a coherent sentence. I mentioned that I had met you before and greatly desired to do so again.”

Gretna gave a little sigh of relief.

“Pray say nothing about Stade Hall,” she asked. “I will explain why later.”

It was very much later that she had a chance to say anything to Sir Harry.