He was at her side in two steps and he held her at arm’s length. ‘You are so beautiful, Kate. You always look lovely to me, even when you’re dressed as a poor serving maid, but tonight you are truly breath-taking.’

‘Thank you, but please keep out of sight. The guests will start arriving at any moment.’

‘I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to get Monks for a long time. We’re ready for him.’

‘Someone’s coming, Harry. You have to leave now.’

He leaned over and kissed her briefly on the lips. ‘I’m going, but you have Ted, Joe and Spears on hand to keep you safe. We don’t know when Monks will put in an appearance, but it’s my guess that he’ll wait until the guests have drunk too much champagne to be aware of what is happening. Don’t take any risks.’

‘That goes for you, too. Now please, leave me to handle this my way. Go.’ His comic expression made her laugh, but she pushed him away and turned her back on him. She could hear her mother and Giles in the ballroom and she went to join them.

Even though she had seen her mother’s gown during the fitting sessions, this was the first time Kate had seen her mother wearing the exquisite creation in magenta silk trimmed with black lace. A necklace of rubies and diamonds shone like fire around Arabella’s slender neck, with matching earrings and flower-like diamond pins in her fair hair.

‘Mama, you look amazing,’ Kate said earnestly. ‘But I don’t recognise your jewels.’

Giles slipped his arm around Arabella’s waist. ‘A wedding present from me, Kate.’

‘But you’re not …’ Kate looked from one to the other and realised that they were smiling blissfully. ‘You’re married already. When? How? I don’t understand.’

Arabella broke away from her new husband and slipped her arm around Kate’s shoulders in an unusual gesture of motherly affection. ‘My dear, neither of us have to ask anyone’s permission, but I am still supposed to be in mourning, so we thought it best to get a special licence and marry quietly.’

‘I don’t know what to say, but I suppose congratulations are in order,’ Kate said dazedly. ‘But this ball was supposed to celebrate your engagement. What will you tell your guests?’

Arabella moved to Giles’s side and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. ‘I realise that it’s rather unusual, but as long as everyone enjoys themselves I don’t think it matters. I just hope that things don’t get out of hand.’