Ever since he had presented it to her that night after the frightening experience of taking his place that had saved his life, she had seldom taken the ring from her finger.
‘It’s my own,’ she thought a thousand times, ‘my very own piece of jewellery.’
She had worn it even to go to bed. Sometimes there seemed to be a sparkle of fire in the stones, which was echoed by a sudden sparkle within herself.
It was like an excitement that she had never known before and a thrill such as she had never believed possible and yet in some strange way it was anticipation more than reality.
“You look really lovely, miss,” Rose remarked sincerely as she made ready to leave the bedroom. “I am real sure his Lordship will think so.”
“I hope so,” Druscilla smiled. “Thank you, Rose.”
But, when she had gone
