As Petula stared at him, she realised that the Major had changed into his evening clothes.
If she had thought that he had looked smart before, it was now impossible not to gasp at the elegance of his blue long-tailed coat and skin-tight pantaloons that the Prince of Wales had brought into fashion for informal occasions.
A fob glittered from his waist, but otherwise he wore no jewellery and so the elegance of his skilfully tied snow-white cravat needed no embellishment.
As if the Major realised that she was surprised at his appearance, he said.
“I must after all accept your kind offer of hospitality for the night, Miss Buckden. The wheelwright informs me that it is impossible for him to complete the work that is required until tomorrow morning.”
Petula was unable to find her voice and
