“It is that. But why did he gift it to me?”I inquired.
“I assume it has something to do with the incident at supper last night with the bells. His way of apologizing? And it looks to be just your size.”
“But how was it made so quickly?”I asked. I had a petite frame and most dresses needed to be tailored to my size, but this one looked as if it would fit perfectly.
“An old dress of the duchess’s or his sister’s, perhaps?”
A smile I could not contain washed over my face as I stared down at the gown.
“We have been invited to dine with the duke and duchess this afternoon, so clean yourself up,”she said.
A carriage arrived to escort us to the castle, although it was but a short walk. The wintry chill prompted us to accept the offer graciously. Upon our arrival, we were directed to a modest dining room, much more intimate than the grand hall from the night before. The duke, seated at the head of the table, rose as we entered. We bowed our heads and curtsied before taking our seats at the far end.
“Mary, I am delighted that after so many years, you have finally graced us with your presence,”he warmly expressed.
“Thank you, Your Grace, for extending your invitation to my granddaughter Cora as well,”she replied, dipping her head.
“I wanted to express my gratitude, my lord, for the remarkable dress you bestowed upon me,”I added, straightening my back.
“Oh, it’s my pleasure. I thought it was the least I could do after last night’s events,”he responded, looking a bit embarrassed. He glanced toward the door.“My wife and son will be joining us shortly,”he informed us. A few moments later, the door opened revealing a woman in a stunning day dress crafted from rich moss-green silk. She was slender with brown hair streaked with strands of silver that was neatly pulled back into a low bun. She had been absent at last night’s dinner, but I could not blame her as it was nothing morethan a group of men bragging and boasting about one another.
We all rose as she approached the table, resuming our seats only after she and the duke had taken theirs.
“Mary, it is truly wonderful of you to come. It has been ages,”the duchess remarked, smoothing out her dress.
“It has, my lady,”my grandmother agreed, offering the duchess her most genuine smile.“This is my granddaughter, Cora.”
“My lady,”I said, bowing my head.
“So very nice to meet you, Cora. Have you traveled far to join us?”the duchess asked.
“Yes, I have come from Edinburgh, my lady.”
“I was just there myself last week meeting with an old friend. Wonderful place,”the duke said, glancing over toward the door and then over to the bracket clock resting on the mantel over the large fireplace at the back of the room.
“Do you have any interests?”the duchess inquired, her gaze shifting back to the doorway where the duke was still looking.
“I do. I have a great fondness for reading and writing,”I replied, feeling a sense of relief to be among individuals who would surely appreciate my literacy, unlike my mother, who often insisted that a woman’s place wasn’t among the pages of a book.
“How delightful. What sorts of books capture your interest?”the duchess asked.
Catching Gran’s encouraging smile and subtle nod, I continued,“I enjoy a wide range, but I particularly enjoy books by Robert Greene, Thomas Nashe, and of course plays by William Shakespeare.”
The duchess smiled warmly, nodding approvingly.“Our son shares a similar passion for reading.‘Nose in a book and head in the clouds,’as I always say.”
“Speaking of our son, I apologize for his absence. That boy is neverpunctual. I don’t understand how he expects to oversee and manage affairs here when he can’t even manage to join us for meals on time,”the duke said, casting another glance toward the doorway.
The duchess was about to make a remark when servants began to emerge from a side door with large trays laden with roasted vegetables, bread, and a generous cut of venison. As they began to set them upon the table, I saw the duke’s gaze lingering on the empty seat beside his wife, a mix of disappointment and anger etched on his face.
The tantalizing aromas drifting into the room caused my stomach to protest audibly, and I cursed myself for not having a morsel of bread before we left.
The meal stretched on, prolonged as the duke and duchess waited in vain for their son to join us. The tension of his absence hung heavy in the air as my corset hung heavy against my full stomach. Eventually, they gave in to the fact that their son would not be gracing us with his presence, a fact that left me wanting as I was eager to meet him. The duke pushed aside his plate and stood from his seat at the table.
“I have something special to show you before you retire for the evening,”he announced, pushing in his chair. He guided us out of the dining room and into the grand hall. As we entered, a gasp escaped my lips, for there stood a majestic evergreen tree in the center of the room, reaching nearly to the twenty-foot ceiling. I had never witnessed a tree indoors before, and its grandeur sent a wave of warmth through me.
A man atop a ladder secured a large red bow to the tree’s pinnacle, its long ends cascading down almost to the floor. Two women delicately hung a string of dried fruits on the branches—apples, oranges, and cranberries standing out against the dark forest green.
“Last year, I spent a considerable amount of time in Strasbourg. They have a delightful tradition of bringing a fir tree into their homes for the festive season, adorning it with dried fruits and baubles. I was so fond of it that I wanted to bring the tradition back here for this year’s Christmasball,”the duke explained.
