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“My apologies, you did mention you were looking for me, and I completely missed your point. Who is calling?” She glanced down at her gown and then asked, “Ought I to change first? Have they been waiting long?”
“Your mother is with him now, but he did ask to see you. A Lord Sterling is here.”
Gracie stared at the life-long familiar servant as though she had never seen her before, wondering if she were stuck in a nightmare.
Did I conjure the man with my thoughts of him?
She smiled weakly at the housekeeper. Her questions hadn’t really been answered, and she had to decide on the instant. She glanced down at her frock once more. It wasn’t dreadful. It wasn’t the most fashionable thing she owned, but it was comfortable and one of her favourite colours. And even though she had been lying in the grass, she was reasonably sure she wasn’t dirty.
“Mrs. Williams, a moment, please. Could you please confirm for me whether or not there are grass stains on my back?”
The servant laughed and dutifully checked.
“You are perfectly presentable, my lady, but if you’d prefer to run up to your room, I can make your excuses.”
Gracie bit her lip in indecision. “How long did you say he’d already been here?”
“Perhaps ten or fifteen minutes?”
“Oh dear, and with Mother this whole time?”
The servant nodded, and Grace grinned. “Perhaps, that will prevent a repeat performance. But I ought to go see for myself. Thank you, Mrs. Williams.”
Grace took another critical glance down at the skirt of her gown and weighed her options. Would her mother be more distressed that she wasn’t dressed in her best or that she had left her to attend a guest on her own? Gracie was well aware that her mother’s ambitions for her daughters were unlimited, so she might not mind being left alone with the eligibly single lord. But Gracie didn’t want to have her engagement to the man negotiated before she had even put in an appearance, so she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and marched off toward the receiving room Mrs. Williams had indicated.
