Chapter 34
That same evening they were all due to attend a ball at the house of Lord and Lady Daventry, which Miss Berystede had seen no reason to decline attending. “We need not stay late. But there is little we can do to prepare this evening for tomorrow. Southwell cannot expect new gowns at such short notice.”
Jemima was too excited at the prospect of her marriage to be overly concerned with the details. “Having the Earl of Southwell at the altar rather than Sir Hubert will be delight enough,” she assured the others. She did not yet dare to call him Marcus before them, though she supposed she should do so afterwards.
There was added anticipation for Jemima and Kitty that night, for they were privately longing to witness the reaction of Mrs Linton-Smythe to Jemima’s news. Neither girl
