“Yes, it’s time we left, Ma. Is it all right if we do?”

“Of course, my dear. The party will no doubt continue without you. You go upstairs. Your friends will help you, you don’t need me.”

“No,” Petra agreed. “We can manage perfectly well. I’ll be about twenty minutes.”

Upstairs in her bedroom, Dottie was waiting for her, festive in her own holiday dress of pale yellow organza.

“Oh, Dottie, I told you you didn’t have to leave your own party,” Petra protested. The servants were celebrating with their own wedding breakfast in the servants’ hall. “I can manage with Mrs. Tremayne and Mrs. Lacey to help.”

“Oh, I have to see you off proper, Miss Petra, oh, I mean, your ladyship,” the girl said half laughing at her confusion. “Oh, it’s going to take some getting used to.”

“For me too,” Petra said, laughing herself. “But I’d rather you just called me Miss Petra as always, Dottie.”

“Well, I’ll be waiting at Ashton Court when you and Lord Ashton get back from your honeymoon,” Dottie said. “Are you sure you won’t need me on the journey?”

“Quite sure, thank you. We’re first going by train to Scotland to stay with Lord Ashton’s sister and she has plenty of staff, and when we go on to Italy I’ll use maids from the hotels where we’ll be staying. Other than that, I can manage for myself.” With the able assistance of my husband, she reflected, but kept the reflection to herself.

“It’s such a shame Guy’s sister couldn’t get to the wedding,” Diana observed.

“Yes,” Petra agreed. “According to Guy it’s a hazard that goes with all those children. They’ve all had measles, one after the other, and Lady Elinor didn’t dare leave until they were all free of it.”

“Well, at least you’ve already had it,” Fenella said. “Remember, we were all laid low in the school infirmary for weeks.”

“It was quite fun once we started to feel better,” Petra responded with a chuckle. “Anyway, I’m really looking forward to meeting Elinor. Guy’s hopeless at giving a proper description. All I gather is that she’s middling height, has blue eyes and dark hair, and is preoccupied with the children. The duke is vague, spends most of his time in the library, except when he’s hunting or salmon fishing, and is generally unobjectionable.”

She stood up from the dresser stool and smoothed down her dark blue wool skirt. “I think I’m ready to go down.” Dottie handed her a matching bolero jacket, which she slipped over a pale blue ruffled silk blouse. She gave her friends a rather hesitant smile. “Why am I nervous?”

“You’re standing on the brink of the rest of your life,” Fenella said, kissing her cheek. “It’s a scary moment. I felt the same.”