Mr Benry continued speaking, his deep voice carrying clearly over the gentle morning breeze. "He is in the drawing room, my lady."

Delaney felt a sudden rush of joy hit her chest. Her heart immediately began to beat a very fast, happy rhythm against her ribs. She had been waiting for three long days to see him.

Delaney offered the older butler a bright, incredibly excited smile. Her hazel eyes sparkled with genuine delight.

"Thank you, Mr. Benry," Delaney replied quickly. She could barely contain the happiness bubbling in her throat. "Please tell him I will be there very shortly."

"Very well, my lady," Mr. Benry said. He bowed deeply at the waist. He turned smartly on his heel, his dark coat swishing slightly, and walked back inside the house. He closed the glass doors completely, leaving the two women alone on the balcony.

The moment the doors clicked shut, Delaney completely abandoned all proper aristocratic restraint. She moved with sudden, frantic energy. She quickly placed the wedding dress very carefully over the back of the empty wicker chair, making sure the delicate pearls did not catch on the woven wood.

She spun around quickly. She turned to Aunt Renee, her hazel eyes wide and bright.

"Rowan is here!" Delaney said happily, her voice almost a squeal of delight. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

She looked down at her simple, dark blue morning dress. It was a neat, clean dress made of simple wool. It was perfectly fine for a morning dress, but it was incredibly plain. It was certainly not a dress meant for receiving the Duke of Ford for a formal courtship call.

She quickly smoothed her hands nervously over her simple skirts, trying to brush away nonexistent wrinkles. She touched her dark hair, wondering if the wind had ruined her neat curls.

"How do I look, Aunt Renee?" Delaney asked rapidly. She turned her head slightly to check her reflection in the glass door. "Do you think he would like this dress? Is my hair completely messy from the wind?"

Aunt Renee smiled warmly. She was highly amused by her niece’s sudden, frantic energy. It was beautiful to see the young woman so deeply in love.

"You look absolutely beautiful, my dear," Aunt Renee replied calmly. She reached out and took a slow sip of her warm tea. "Your hair is perfectly fine. And certainly, the Duke will love whatever you are wearing, because he simply loves you."

Delaney shook her head quickly. She completely disagreed. She wanted everything to be absolutely perfect for his very first visit to her true home. She wanted to show him that she was truly the Lady of the Manor now.

"No, no," Delaney insisted, shaking her head again. "This plain wool will simply not do. I will have to wear one of the beautiful new dresses he bought for me in London. I must look the part."

She paced a few short steps across the stone balcony, her mind racing with excited thoughts.

"During our correspondence this week," Delaney explained, her face flushed with a pretty pink color. "He wrote in his letter that he would call on me today. But I was expecting him in the late afternoon for tea. I never thought he would arrive so early in the morning! If I had known he was coming right now, I would have worn the new Italian silk dress in the very first place."

She walked over to Aunt Renee. She tapped Renee’s gloved hand gently with her own fingers.

"I will be right back, Aunt," Delaney promised, already turning toward the glass doors. "Please, give me some minutes to change."

Renee laughed a soft sound. She set her porcelain teacup down on the iron table with a small clink.

"Okay," Renee replied, waving her hand playfully to shoo her niece along. "Be quick about it. You know the strict rules of society, Delaney. I must be present in the room as your official chaperone for an unmarried man to visit you. So, do not take long, dear, or the poor Duke will be sitting in the drawing room all by himself staring at the painted walls."

Delaney nodded her head vigorously. "I will hurry!"

She opened the glass doors, ran quickly inside the house, and went straight up the sweeping staircase to her master bedroom.

She moved with frantic, happy speed. She entered the large bedchamber and immediately rang the small silver bell on her vanity table for her new lady’s maid.

A young, cheerful maid named Betty entered the room quickly. "Yes, my lady?"

"Please help me change, Betty," Delaney instructed breathlessly. "I need to wear one of the new dresses from London."

Together, they quickly removed the plain blue wool dress. Delaney walked over to the corner of the room where the large, round cardboard boxes were stacked neatly. She opened three boxes before she found the perfect one.

She chose a stunning, pale yellow day dress made of fine, lightweight Italian silk. It had delicate white lace around the square neckline and short, puffed sleeves. The color was soft and cheerful. It completely complimented her dark hair and brightened her skin.

The maid helped her step into the silk dress. Betty carefully pulled the fabric up and began tying the many small ribbons at the back perfectly. Delaney stood still, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She thought about Rowan. She could not wait to see him sitting in her drawing room.

After the dress was secured, the maid quickly brushed her dark curls. Betty pinned a few stray strands neatly back from Delaney’s face with small silver combs.

Delaney looked in the tall standing mirror. She took a deep, steadying breath. The pale yellow silk draped beautifully over her figure. She was ready.

"Thank you, Betty," Delaney smiled at the maid.

"You look lovely, my lady," Betty curtsied politely.

Delaney turned and walked quickly out of the bedchamber. She walked down the long, carpeted hallway and descended the grand staircase. Her soft leather shoes made no sound on the stairs, but the fine silk of her dress rustled pleasantly with every step.

She went to the foyer to meet her aunt, who had just come in from the balcony. Aunt Renee was standing near a large marble pillar, adjusting her dark blue shawl.

"Aunt Renee," Delaney said brightly, smoothing the yellow silk skirts with her hands. "I am ready."

Renee looked at her niece and smiled proudly. "You look completely radiant, Delaney. The pale yellow is a perfect color for you. The Duke will be entirely speechless. Let us go."

They turned and started walking together across the grand marble foyer. They headed toward the wide hallway that led to the closed double doors of the formal drawing room.

But as they walked, Mr. Benry appeared from a side corridor. He walked quickly to intercept them before they could reach the drawing room.

Delaney stopped walking. She noticed an immediate, highly unusual change in the butler’s professional expression.

Mr. Benry did not look calm and collected as a proper butler should. He looked incredibly nervous. His usually straight posture was slightly stiff. A small bead of sweat had formed on his wrinkled forehead. He was holding a folded piece of cheap, coarse paper tightly in his white-gloved hand.

Mr. Benry stopped directly in front of them and bowed slightly.

"My Lady," Mr. Benry said. His voice was unusually tight and strained.

Delaney frowned slightly. Her happy excitement dimmed just a fraction. She tilted her head, observing the older man’s obvious discomfort.

"What is it, Mr. Benry?" Delaney asked. Her voice was calm but questioning. "Is everything alright in the drawing room? Did the Duke ask for some tea or wine? I hope he is not growing impatient."

Mr. Benry cleared his throat nervously. He looked down at the polished marble floor for a brief second before looking back up at her. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"My Lady," Benry replied, choosing his words very carefully. He looked deeply apologetic. "You do not have a caller anymore."