the
murderously hard busk prevented it. Her hair had been dressed in a complicated and sophisticated style with artless curls
draped over one, very nearly bare, shoulder. She had caught her breath when she’d seen herself in the mirror in Anne’s bedchamber.
A beautiful stranger looked back at her. When she had taken a few careful steps the yards of fine blue-green silk embellished
with seed pearls whispered around her ankles as if she were floating on a cushion of air.
Anne, resplendent in butter-yellow satin, had smiled and offered her a fan and shown her how to flirt behind it. ‘You will
have all the young gentlemen clamouring after you!’ she said.
Beth wasn’t sure how she felt about that but there
was
something special about wearing such fine clothes.
Cecily’s eyes widened when she saw her sister. ‘Beth! You look like a princess.’ She pouted. ‘And I thought I was going to
be the prettiest tonight.’
‘You look beautiful and much older than sixteen.’
Mollified, Cecily smoothed her skirts. ‘I’m going to tie red ribbons in my hair once we’re in the coach,’ she whispered.
‘I thought it was always the ladies who kept the gentlemen waiting,’ said Susannah to Mistress Morley.
With a clattering of shoes Kit, John and Noah jostled their way down the stairs, all dressed in their Sunday best and full
of self-conscious good humour.
‘Well, don’t we all look fancy?’ said Noah, elegantly dressed in bronze-coloured velvet that matched his eyes.
‘You look splendid,’ said Beth, thinking how handsome he was.
‘I m-m-may not have the most m-m-modish coat but I have scraped the mud from under my fingernails,’ said John, laughing as
he held out his hands for inspection.
Kit adjusted the lace at his cuffs and buttoned and unbuttoned the indigo jacquard coat he’d borrowed from his father for
the occasion. ‘I’m not used to dressing up,’ he said.
Noah clapped him on the arm. ‘You look very fine and I can see you’ll be setting my sisters’ hearts aflutter when you arrive
in Jamestown, Kit. I’ve written to them and told them to expect you so they’ll be in a flurry of visits to the dressmakers,
all competing for your attention upon your arrival.’ He turned to Beth and took her hand. ‘But none of them could possibly
outshine you,’ he said quietly. ‘You look radiant tonight.’
Beth flushed at his compliment before realising she was holding his hand for far too long to be polite. Flustered, she murmured
something inconsequential and turned away.
William, austere in black, took Susannah’s arm. ‘You look as lovely as ever, my dear,’ he said, his face softening into one
of his rare but dazzling smiles.
Cecily, jiggling about in excitement, called out, ‘Time to go!’
After a deal of careful manoeuvring, the ladies climbed into the coach with their skirts arranged to crease as little as possible.
Fanshawe Manor had never looked better. The carriage drive was lined with flaming torches and crowded with coaches. Servants
in new livery took the guests’ cloaks. The hall was lit by a thousand candles and decorated with garlands of greenery entwined
with swathes of white silk. A small group of musicians played to amuse the guests while they waited to be announced.
‘It’s as bright as day!’ said Cecily, her jaw dropping at the magnificence of it all. ‘I’ve never seen anything so wondrous.’
‘Imagine the bill for the candles!’ whispered Susannah. ‘Why, there are enough to light Merryfields for ten years.’
William took Cecily’s arm and turned her to face him. ‘I see a scarlet ribbon has appeared in your hair on the journey here.’
Cecily’s cheeks flushed to match the offending ribbon.
‘And it looks delightful,’ continued William. ‘I am blessed with my womenfolk; you paint a vision of loveliness.’
Squealing with delight, Cecily stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. ‘I wonder if Harry de Montford is
murderously hard busk prevented it. Her hair had been dressed in a complicated and sophisticated style with artless curls
draped over one, very nearly bare, shoulder. She had caught her breath when she’d seen herself in the mirror in Anne’s bedchamber.
A beautiful stranger looked back at her. When she had taken a few careful steps the yards of fine blue-green silk embellished
with seed pearls whispered around her ankles as if she were floating on a cushion of air.
Anne, resplendent in butter-yellow satin, had smiled and offered her a fan and shown her how to flirt behind it. ‘You will
have all the young gentlemen clamouring after you!’ she said.
Beth wasn’t sure how she felt about that but there
was
something special about wearing such fine clothes.
Cecily’s eyes widened when she saw her sister. ‘Beth! You look like a princess.’ She pouted. ‘And I thought I was going to
be the prettiest tonight.’
‘You look beautiful and much older than sixteen.’
Mollified, Cecily smoothed her skirts. ‘I’m going to tie red ribbons in my hair once we’re in the coach,’ she whispered.
‘I thought it was always the ladies who kept the gentlemen waiting,’ said Susannah to Mistress Morley.
With a clattering of shoes Kit, John and Noah jostled their way down the stairs, all dressed in their Sunday best and full
of self-conscious good humour.
‘Well, don’t we all look fancy?’ said Noah, elegantly dressed in bronze-coloured velvet that matched his eyes.
‘You look splendid,’ said Beth, thinking how handsome he was.
‘I m-m-may not have the most m-m-modish coat but I have scraped the mud from under my fingernails,’ said John, laughing as
he held out his hands for inspection.
Kit adjusted the lace at his cuffs and buttoned and unbuttoned the indigo jacquard coat he’d borrowed from his father for
the occasion. ‘I’m not used to dressing up,’ he said.
Noah clapped him on the arm. ‘You look very fine and I can see you’ll be setting my sisters’ hearts aflutter when you arrive
in Jamestown, Kit. I’ve written to them and told them to expect you so they’ll be in a flurry of visits to the dressmakers,
all competing for your attention upon your arrival.’ He turned to Beth and took her hand. ‘But none of them could possibly
outshine you,’ he said quietly. ‘You look radiant tonight.’
Beth flushed at his compliment before realising she was holding his hand for far too long to be polite. Flustered, she murmured
something inconsequential and turned away.
William, austere in black, took Susannah’s arm. ‘You look as lovely as ever, my dear,’ he said, his face softening into one
of his rare but dazzling smiles.
Cecily, jiggling about in excitement, called out, ‘Time to go!’
After a deal of careful manoeuvring, the ladies climbed into the coach with their skirts arranged to crease as little as possible.
Fanshawe Manor had never looked better. The carriage drive was lined with flaming torches and crowded with coaches. Servants
in new livery took the guests’ cloaks. The hall was lit by a thousand candles and decorated with garlands of greenery entwined
with swathes of white silk. A small group of musicians played to amuse the guests while they waited to be announced.
‘It’s as bright as day!’ said Cecily, her jaw dropping at the magnificence of it all. ‘I’ve never seen anything so wondrous.’
‘Imagine the bill for the candles!’ whispered Susannah. ‘Why, there are enough to light Merryfields for ten years.’
William took Cecily’s arm and turned her to face him. ‘I see a scarlet ribbon has appeared in your hair on the journey here.’
Cecily’s cheeks flushed to match the offending ribbon.
‘And it looks delightful,’ continued William. ‘I am blessed with my womenfolk; you paint a vision of loveliness.’
Squealing with delight, Cecily stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. ‘I wonder if Harry de Montford is
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