‘Please, God, let him find someone who will make him happy,’ she prayed in her heart.
Then quickly, because she thought the Duchess would be waiting for her, she began to change into one of her beautiful new gowns.
As she expected, because they had travelled in the Duke’s train and had driven in his comfortable carriages from the halt, the majority of the party arrived exactly on time.
The Duchess was waiting for them in the silver salon, which was on the ground floor, and Anita had put on one of her prettiest gowns.
“Do you want me to be there, ma’am?” she asked. “Perhaps you and His Grace would prefer to receive your guests alone?”
“No, of course not, dear child,” the Duchess replied, “and I think you will be a great help, since this house party is very unlike Kerne’s usual ones.”
