The Lennox coach rolled to a stop in front of Lady Eugenia’s grand house on Park Lane. The faint sounds of music drifted out to the coach where Anna was sitting. She wore the new gown that Rosalind’s dressmaker had made for her. A diamond-and-pearl diadem rested in the coils of her dark-russet hair. She wore elbow-length white silk gloves and a red velvet cape. Everything about her declared she was royalty.
It felt as though she was back in Ruritania, preparing to make an appearance with her family. The memories of those glittering balls at the royal court were now tinged with sorrow. Those days were gone, and the memories would fade like the smoke that had billowed up above the burning ruins of her home. Even if Alexei became king, Anna’s life would never be the same.
“Are you ready?” R
