Chapter 23
The storm swooped in with a vengeance, the rain and wind lashing the trees and rattling the parlor windows that evening as the maid turned up the lamps. The ladies soon followed, gathering for their after-dinner coffee and cordials. Mrs. Reese—having made it safely back from the Ambrose cottage before the rain started coming down—gave the windows a sideways glance before pulling out her knitting needles. Concordia sat beside her on the settee, with Charlotte and Lady Dunwick arranged in chairs on the other side of the coffee table.
Lady Dunwick poured from a delicate china pot and passed the cups. “I think you’ll enjoy this. It’s a favorite of ours, Sumatran Mandeling.”
Concordia breathed in the fragrance of the rich, earthy coffee. It should help perk her up after the fatigu
