“Ah! There you are!”

Hannah glanced up to find Grace standing in the doorway of the parlor, all dressed and ready to leave for some sort of fete, it would seem. “Yes, and I’ve been here for quite some time. Have you been looking for me?”

“Well, not for very long, admittedly,” Grace said, moving toward her. “I went to your chambers first, but Alice said I’d find you here.”

“And why were you looking for me in the first place?”

“Oh, yes, erm…” Grace’s eyes darted about, a clear sign she was about to tell a lie. “I was hoping you would join me on a little shopping trip. I’d love your opinion on the hat I had commissioned.”

“A hat you say?” Hannah confirmed, wondering what was really going on.

“Mm-hm.” Her sister-in-law wouldn’t look her in the eye.

“Well…” Hannah sighed and sat back in her seat. “I had planned to watch the birds from the verandah today, and maybe chat with the worms…”

“Oh, you are incorrigible since you fell in love!” Grace punched her fists to her hips, finally meeting Hannah’s gaze.

“Will you tell me what’s really going on?”

“I can’t, but I need you to trust me.”

“Trust you,” she teased.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, just go with the girl!” the dowager called from across the room. Hannah had forgotten her mother was even there.

“Thank you,” Grace called over her shoulder.

“Fine.” Hannah stood, smiling amusedly. She would have gone anyway, since her curiosity was indubitably peaked now. “May I retrieve my pelisse?”

“Already done. Baldrick is waiting for you in the foyer.”

“Well, then, I can’t wait to see this hat.”

She followed Grace out the door and into the carriage. Her sister-in-law insisted on closing the curtains so Hannah couldn’t see where they were going and ruin the surprise. Hannah quipped that she’d been to the hatmaker’s before, but Grace didn’t find it quite as amusing as she did.

Finally, the carriage pulled to a stop, at which point Grace asked Hannah to turn around.

“Turn around?”

“I have to blindfold you.”

“Blindfold me?”

“Will you please stop being so difficult?”

Hannah laughed, but turned around anyway, allowing Grace to put a blindfold over her eyes and then lead her from the carriage. Hannah tried to take in the sounds and smells around her—they certainly weren’t in Mayfair anymore, but it really could have been anywhere in London.

“Three steps up,” Grace said. “One, two, three. There. Now right this way.”

They were inside now. Inside of what, she didn’t know. And then, all at once, light flooded her eyes as a chorus of Surprise! rang in her ears.

Hannah blinked, trying to take in the scene before her. Good heavens. They were all here. Here in Veronica’s little parlor. All the women she’d met with. All the women that had had the unfortunate experience of sleeping with her former husband, gathered in one place, smiling at her, some with tears in their eyes. It was so overwhelming that Hannah struggled to take in air.

“What—what is this?” she breathed.

Grace took her hand and squeezed it tightly. “This,” her sister-in-law said, “is for you.”

“But I don’t understand.” And truly, she didn’t.

Veronica stepped forward, her startling blue eyes filled with light and hopefulness. “You have been through so much—endured far too many years with that vile man—and yet you have shown nothing but kindness to all of us.” She gestured to the women at large. “We wanted to find a way to honor you, to turn your struggle into a way to help other women who may seek asylum from a man who might harm her. Or for women who want a different life from the one they may have fallen into. Like many of us here.” She stepped aside to allow two of the women to come forward. They held a sign between them that read Hannah’s Home.

Hannah couldn’t breathe. The lump in her throat was nearly choking her.

“Evan and I have purchased a large townhome not far from here,” Grace added. “Large enough to house at least twenty women at a time. And your own Dr. Alcott has agreed to make certain all the women are well cared for and healthy.”

Hannah cast her gaze to Grace. “Graham?”

Grace nodded.

“But…” She had so many questions, she didn’t even know where to begin. So she said simply, “I am overwhelmed. And honored.”

“Come.” Grace took her by the hand and began to lead her out of the room and toward the back of the house. “We’ve planned a little something for you.”

Hannah couldn’t imagine what was happening, but when Grace opened the door to the garden, she saw that it had been transformed. Where it used to be a dismal place overrun with weeds, there were flowers and healthy plants everywhere, benches and tables, upon which were plates of cakes and biscuits and sandwiches…a garden party in a lovely little enchanted garden.

“It’s magnificent,” Hannah breathed. “But you didn’t have to do all this for me.”

“They wanted to,” Grace replied. “After Beeston ruined your plans for him, well, they didn’t want to leave it at that. They wanted you to know that they were willing to stand by you, no matter what.”

“I don’t deserve all this.”

“No,” Grace said. “You deserve far more. But this will have to do.”