The week that followed the announcement of Hetty’s wedding and the unfortunate cab accident was a busy one for the Marriage Bureau. Elizabeth had convinced Mr. Kirby to come in for an interview and couldn’t wait to introduce him to her friends, and Eva and Hetty lauded him as a hero for his rescue of the Mowbray ladies. The tall, well-built man had been adorably bashful under all the fawning attention.
Even Miss Plumley had pranced about the poor man, cooing over him. The middle-aged secretary had succumbed to the influence of the bureau and its tendency to make over ladies who were in need of it. She was dressing more fashionably, and her hair was no longer a dull gray but a vibrant red. Yet she seemed a bit desperate in her makeup and clothing, to the point that Elizabeth was starting t
