“In half an hour, please.” Petra waited for the maid to leave the room before sliding her left hand out from under the bedclothes where she’d been concealing it. “So, what do you think?” She laid her hand on the coverlet, where the ruby glowed, its interior star sparking in the deep red.

“It’s gorgeous,” Diana said, taking Petra’s hand to look at it closely. “Is it a family jewel?”

“Part of the Granville rubies set. Guy wants me to wear the rest of it on the wedding day.”

“They’re quite famous, I think,” Fenella said. “I heard my mother talking about them once, I can’t remember why.”

“I’m afraid they’ll overwhelm me.” Petra looked at the ring again. “I think I can get away with the ring, but I think I’m too small and insignificant-looking to get away with the whole set at once.”

“Nonsense,” Diana stated, sitting on the other side of the bed from Fenella. “There’s nothing insignificant about you at all. So, start from the beginning. Did the engagement have anything to do with why you both left Ascot so suddenly?”

“Yes, it did.” Petra told them everything except for the quarrel about the kind of wedding they would have. She said only, “Guy wants to hold a big society engagement party in town, but the wedding will be small and in Somerset.”

“I wonder how many noses this will put out of joint,” Diana mused. “Clothilde Delmont’s for one.”

“Should I concern myself with that?” Petra asked.

“No, of course you shouldn’t,” Fenella responded vigorously. “The engagement will be the talk of the town for a while, it’s inevitable, Guy Granville’s doings are always matters for gossip and speculation, but once Sir Percy and Lady Rutherford are back in town and the planning’s in full swing no one will think of anything but guest lists and speculation about the marriage settlements.”

“Well, I couldn’t care less about settlements,” Petra declared. “I just want to ensure that I keep control of my own money. I don’t need any allowance from my husband and I don’t want one either.”

“But Guy is said to be hugely wealthy,” Diana pointed out. “Sir Percy is bound to want to negotiate something for you.”

“Then I shall tell him not to bother,” Petra stated. “I don’t intend to be dependent in any way upon my husband. I have my trust fund from great-aunt Agatha. It’s more than enough for my personal needs.”

Diana and Fenella exchanged a look. Petra intercepted it. “What was that look for? You’re neither of you dependent on your husbands.”

“Not financially, no,” Fenella conceded. “But in all sorts of other ways, dearest. Support, love, friendship. Oh, there are countless ways Edward and I depend on each other.”