Anna had not visited with her good friend, Maria, for ages. As it was a pleasant sunny day with innocuous white fluffy clouds that did not portend rain, she decided to take a leisurely walk to Creassey Manor to visit Maria unannounced. She set out at a good pace to enjoy her afternoon with a light heart.

Maria and Harry ran the Creassey Estate together. He managed all the business end of things, while she ran the household. She was not some spoiled Earl’s sister who spent her days coiffing her hair and reading romance novels. No, she worked. If she was not overseeing the laundry, she was conferring with Cook or giving instruction to Daniels about the day’s work for the footmen and chambermaids.

Today’s work was the making of tallow candles. The household used a prodigious number of candles and every several months it was time to make a new batch. This was usually done in the kitchen as the tallow needed to be heated to be poured into the candle molds.

“Almost there, Lady Buxton. Another five minutes, I would say,” the senior kitchen maid, who regularly assisted in the candle making, said.

“Who is helping you today, Bridget?”

“Charles and Robert, Milady.”

“Excellent. I shall pop in now and then to see how it is going. But do not hesitate to come for me if you have any problems.”

“Do not expect there to be any, Your Ladyship.”

“Good.”

Maria turned to leave the kitchen when Daniels appeared and announced, “Miss Hoskins has come for a visit. I put her in the map room, Milady.”

“Oh, good. Thank you, Daniels. And will you bring us some tea?”

He nodded and Maria removed her apron and headed to the map room.

“Oh, it has been ages,” Maria cried out as she threw her arms open to welcome Anna into a hug. Her friend was leaning over the globe and looking at Asia.

“I am so sorry for just popping in unannounced, but it was such a lovely afternoon, and I fancied a walk and a visit.”

“I am so glad you did. I get so caught up with the house business, I forget to lead a normal life from time to time.”

Anna went to her friend for the proffered hug. They took a step backward, clasped hands, and looked at each other in mutual admiration.

“I have ordered tea,” Maria said.

“But it is such a lovely afternoon might we have it in the pergola?” Anna asked.

“That would be lovely. Let me just tell Daniels.”

When Maria returned, the two friends linked arms and left through the French doors onto the terrace. They walked down some steps and across the lawn to the pergola, set in a grove of trees, that was one of the more pleasant places to partake of tea.

When they reached the pergola, the two friends sat at the table and began to chat until the tea arrived and was served.

“Have you had any news from your father?” Maria asked. “He has been gone for so long this time.”

“We have only had two letters. Both were rather brief and to the point. ‘I went here. I went there.’ That sort of thing. But we have not heard from him for a long while now.”

“Then perhaps he is on his way home,” Maria suggested.

“We certainly would like to think so.” Anna was feeling lazy after her first cup of tea and she stretched and yawned. “But Dorothy has it in her mind for us to give a dance. She is longing to be entertained. She thinks we live a dreary life. But I told her it is not proper without father in attendance.”

“Then perhaps we should be the ones to give a dance. It would not be a ball, of course. But we might put together a lighthearted evening with music and a little dancing.”

Anna sat up. “Oh, Maria, that would be splendid. Do you think Harry would agree?”

“I do not see why not. It has indeed been a long while since anyone in the neighborhood entertained.”

Anna felt like teasing and asked, “And would you be inviting Percy? I do believe he has shown interest in you, has he not?”

Maria blushed and busied herself with pouring them each a second cup of tea. “I have no idea what you are talking about, Anna. Mr. Percy is not a very reliable young man. I do not think he would make an appropriate suitor.”

“But he is so-o-o handsome and charming,” Anna said and leaned in to catch Maria’s eye and made her acknowledge the truth of what was in her heart. But Maria avoided Anna’s gaze. “Go ahead, Maria, admit you have feelings for Mr. Percy. You know you do.”

“I might find him a little interesting,” Maria finally conceded.

“Oh, I believe it more than a little. Come, we have been friends for too long to play games with each other.”

But this was one area where Maria did not want to open her heart to her friend. She did have feelings for Percy, but she felt embarrassed by those feelings because she could clearly see that the young man was not a worthy suitor. So she continued to deny her feelings and pretend they did not exist.

“My dear, Anna, as I said, I do find Percy handsome and charming, but also a little too cavalier—and that is not what I am looking for in a young suitor.”

Anna shrugged. “But you would dance with him at your dance, would you not?”

“Of course,” she said with a faked smile. “I am a lady, after all, and he would be a guest. Who am I to refuse a guest a dance?” Then Maria turned the tables. “Anna, while we are on the subject, I believe that you have feelings for Percy, as well. Am I not correct?”

Anna blushed and tried diverting the subject by saying, “Well, I am in a mood to dance with any and every one. It has been a desert in Wiltshire for over a year. We need some gaiety and dancing. And I, for one, would even dance with a stable hand if he were invited.”

Maria laughed. “My dear, you are liable to gain a reputation.”

“I shall risk it.” Then she suddenly got down to business. “So, you and Harry will host a dance? It would be so lovely to hear the gay strains of music and to feel light footed once again.”

“And I imagine Dorothy will join us?”

“Of course—this really was her idea. Poor dear, she has little exposure to young gentlemen, and I fear, with Father away so much of the time, she will rarely have the opportunity to meet any young men soon—unless you hold your musical evening.”

“Then I will make certain it is done!”

“Please. Let me know if we can help in any way. I know a great deal of your attention is directed at helping to run the estate. But if Dorothy and I can be of assistance, please call on us.”

“I shall keep that in mind.” Maria then gave a wry smile and teased, “And who will be your gentleman of choice for the evening?”

Now it was Anna’s turn to blush again. “I might choose to have a dance or two with Mr. Percy. Yes, I know he is a little wild, but he is a young man, and I feel certain he will come to his senses eventually. After all, he and your sensible brother are good friends. Don’t you think his influence will eventually smooth young Percy’s rough edges?”

Maria sighed. “One would hope so. But I am afraid I do not hear good things about Percy’s family. It seems his father is a somewhat shady character, even if he is a Duke. He is a brutal landlord and there is even talk of dealings with less than honorable associates.”

“I know nothing about things like that. Dorothy and I lead sheltered lives, and apart from Father’s Indian adventures, we hear of little that might be considered exciting.”

“But you, I, and your sister are all of an age when we must seriously contemplate marriage.” Anna did not immediately respond, but seemed conflicted about something and Maria asked, “Is that not what you want?”

“Of course, I do. But I have to say, I do rather enjoy my single life. Father cares well for us, even though he does urge us to find husbands. But he is away for such long times that there is never any pressure for us to marry quickly. And I do enjoy my freedom. I love our home, and the thought of uprooting myself to go live in some stranger’s house does give me pause.”

“Yes, but certainly you want children and a family life.”

Anna smiled weakly. “Yes, I do. I do. But you know my secret passion is to conceive, design, and build something. I have been urging Father to let me construct a classical folly on the estate, but he prevaricates and will never give me an answer. And, as I have no money of my own, I must abide by his generosity and his decisions.”

“Then let us make our dance a delightful event. I shall send out invitations and invite guests to bring interesting young gentlemen along with them. Who knows who might show up and sweep us off our feet?”

The invitations went out for an evening of supper and dance, and Dorothy eagerly awaited news from Maria about the RSVP’s to find out how many would be attending and if there were any new young gentlemen attending who she might not know. It was always such fun to anticipate a surprise guest or two.

“Why are you not more excited about the dance, Anna?” Dorothy asked her sister at breakfast one morning.

“What makes you ask that?” Anna replied. “I am excited, but also a little overwhelmed by the work that needs to be done before the event. I am over at the Manor almost every day helping Maria.” Anna gave her sister a sour look. “And if you could bring yourself to help some, it would be greatly appreciated. I told Maria that both of us would offer help, but so far you have not participated.”

Dorothy frowned as she cut her fried tomato in the sunny breakfast room. “But what would you have me do? I have no skills.”

“What about organizing the flowers? They are your greatest delight, and you might offer to either make arrangements from your garden, or oversee designing the flowers from the Creassey Manor garden.”

Dorothy brightened up. “Oh, yes… I should like that. Take me with you next time you go, and I shall see what is in their garden and confer with Maria about what her needs are. Yes. What fun!” Dorothy thoughtfully worked on her rasher of bacon then asked, “And what are we to wear? Certainly, we cannot be expected to show up in the tired old dresses everyone for miles around already knows?”

“Are you asking for a new dress, Dorothy?”

“It had crossed my mind. Well, for you too, of course. We could make a day trip to Marlborough and spend the day shopping. What do you say?”

Anna idly played with the salt and pepper shakers as she said, “That might be possible. But nothing extravagant.”

“I should like a rose-colored dress,” Dorothy said. “And I fancy a dark burgundy sash and perhaps small red or pink rosebuds worked into my hair.”

“That sounds nice. And I am thinking about something in blue. A darker blue. Light blue makes me look washed out.”

Dorothy stood up from the breakfast table. “Oh, yes. When can we go?”

“After we visit with Maria about the flowers. You really must lend us a hand.”

Dorothy danced around the breakfast room with an imaginary dance partner. “La, la, la,” she sang as she twirled around the room. She went over to Anna, offered her hands, pulled Anna up and made her dance with her—both laughing.