The name on the tag was her own. Her fingers trembling, she opened the package and found a little black velvet box inside. She held her breath as she lifted the tiny lid, gasped when she saw the gleaming diamond shimmering and twinkling in the dim light.

“It came while you was out, miss,” a female voice said, and Maggie whirled to see a maid standing in the doorway of what was probably the bathroom, a stack of neatly folded white towels in her arms. “I’m sure the master had it sent.”

Maggie sank down on the side of the bed, her knees too weak to support her. “Did he—Mr. McKenna—ever give Miss Craig such a ring?”

The maid’s short black curls bobbed as she shook her head. “No, mum. But then, he never meant to marry her, like he does you.”

Suddenly, all Maggie’s confusion fell away. She felt like whirling around the room and singing, but, of course, she didn’t. She took the magnificent ring from its bed of black velvet and slipped it onto her finger. “Wait until Tansy sees!” she whispered, forgetting that she wasn’t alone.

“Tansy, miss?” the maid asked, a lilt in her voice. “Do you mean Tansy Quinn?”

Maggie nodded. “She’s a very good friend of mine.”

The young girl’s face was suddenly wreathed with smiles. “Ain’t that somethin’! She’s coming by this very evenin’, mum, to play whist with the rest of us.”

Maggie beamed, admiring the flash of her engagement ring. “Could I play too?”

The towels went tumbling gracelessly to the floor, and Maggie realized that the maid was staring at her in shock. “Play, mum? Play cards in the servants’ quarters? The master would have a thing or two to say about that, once he found out!”

“He won’t say anything at all,” Maggie answered blithely, helping to pick up the towels and even to refold them. “I want to see Tansy and, anyway, I like a good hand of cards now and again.”

“Yes, miss, but—”

Maggie assumed a fierce look. “What is your name?” she demanded.

“Caroline, miss. It’s Caroline. You won’t be getting me into dutch, now, will you, for droppin’ the towels like I did?”

Maggie couldn’t sustain her glowering expression. She laughed, full of joy because Reeve really meant to marry her and because she was going to see Tansy again. “Of course I won’t, silly,” she said. “But I’d better be invited to that card game!”

Caroline paled and backed out of the room, the towels clutched to her flat little bosom. “Yes, mum, whatever you say,” she prattled, and the moment she was through the doorway, Maggie saw her burst into a breakneck run.

Later that night, the long, austere room shared by all the maids employed in that house was abuzz. Everyone fell silent the moment Maggie walked in.