at the prospect, and wondered if she would find her cousin a married woman upon her return. She whispered a prayer that, for the sake of Martha’s kind heart, it was so. If anyone deserved to be happily married, it was she.
After Darcy had dressed and arranged her hair without assistance, she stepped into her grandmother’s room to see if she met her approval.
“It will have to do,” said Madeline, glancing the dress over. “I suppose that is the latest fashion in America. It is simple.”
“It is the best I have, Grandmother. The trim color is lovely, don’t you think? And in candlelight it shall look even richer.”
“I suppose. Gloves?”
“I have none. I forgot to pack them.”
Shocked, Madeline’s brows lifted. “No gloves? Look in my top drawer. There is a pair you may wear. Keep them if you wish.”
Darcy opened the drawer, and alongside a few caps and a pair of black lace gloves she found them. They were soft as silk and a gentle cream shade. “These are too expensive for me to keep, Grandmother.”
“Pishposh! Where shall I wear them? They have been sitting in the drawer for years. Please take them.”
Darcy thanked her with an embrace.
“Enough. Enough. Be off with you, my girl.”
A little curtsey and Darcy turned to leave. Maxwell scampered after her. “I will not be late,” she said, patting the dog’s head and looking back at her grandmother.
“Hmm. You might. If Mr. Brennan is there.”
Darcy straightened up. “Well, he shall not delay me.”
Madeline smirked. “Prudence and good sense, Darcy. Keep your passions hidden and put your heart in the hands of the One who cares most. ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge him. He shall direct your path.’ ” A peaceful smile lifted her mouth.
Downstairs, Darcy drew her cloak over her shoulders and hurried out to the carriage the Brightons were good enough to send. Once she took her seat inside, her fears turned to excitement. It had been so long since she’d been to any kind of large gathering, the last being at the Rhendons across the river where she’d first set eyes on Ethan.
As she traveled the five-and-one-half miles toward Bentmoor, she soaked in the shades of sunset as it brushed over the landscape. Magenta clouds edged the treetops. Pale purple and blue graced the sky, and flocks of birds made their way to their perches for the night.
The manor house stood atop a hill, twice the size of Havendale, made of red brick and graced with tall windows that caught the hues of dusk. Darcy wondered why anyone would want to live in a house so large when only two people and a few servants lived in it. The footman handed her out, and she looked up at the decorative entrance and the ivy shading it.
A stone-faced manservant dressed in bright red opened the door and stood back to allow her inside, his eyes never meeting hers. It was no life to live, Darcy thought. To serve those who believed they were higher, to show no emotion, to be so mechanical. She felt sorry for him, and spoke. “Good evening. Thank you for opening the door for me.”
The footman’s eyes blinked, gave her a quick nod, and stepped behind her to draw off her cloak in such a manner that she did not feel his touch. Mrs. Brighton glided forward and moved Darcy toward her drawing room. “Darcy, I am pleased you have come. No escort? Where are Mr. Langbourne and Charlotte?”
“Charlotte returned to Meadlow, and Mr. Langbourne is gone on business.”
Mrs. Brighton clicked her tongue. “I should not be surprised. … Never mind. There are handsome men aplenty here tonight to watch over you.”
“Forgive me for being late,” said Darcy, tugging at her gloves. The soft ting of a harpsichord and the voice of a woman singing as sweet as a meadowlark flowed from the drawing room. “How beautiful.”
“Do you like it?” Mrs. Brighton walked with her to the open doorway.
“Very much.” The music filled her, and she shuddered at the beauty of it.
“It is a piece by Mr. Mozart from Le nozze di Figaro—The Marriage of Figaro.”
Of course, Darcy had heard of Mozart, but she had never heard his compositions sung. She had not been long in the room when she spotted Ethan on the opposite side. Her breath caught, and she felt a sharp pang seize her heart. She looked about for Miss Roth,