Annie’s jaw dropped. “A what?”

“A ball.” Kate giggled.

“With just the two of you?” Lily asked, bouncing back against the seat again, her eyes wide.

“Yes, well, the two of us and Louisa … and Locke.”

Lily’s pretty violet eyes grew even wider. “Who is Louisa? And Locke? The butler?”

Kate pulled the blanket closer to her face and tucked it under her chin. “Louisa is the maid. I promised her James would dance with her. You see, she’d never danced at a ball before and … Oh, the two of you must think I’m an awful ninny.”

“Nonsense. I think it sounds absolutely divine,” Annie said, tucking her blanket under her chin.

“I just cannot imagine Medford dancing with a maid and the butler. He’s usually so … proper,” Lily said.

“Oh, he didn’t think a thing of it. He’s not a snob at all,” Kate said.

“Oh no, not a snob, dear. I’d never think that. He’s just very accustomed to … following rules,” Lily replied.

“I still say it’s divine.” Annie sighed.

“I agree.” Lily’s face wore a wide grin. “And just the sort of thing our Medford needs.” She winked at Kate.

Kate furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed,” Lily replied. “Medford’s a bit … how shall we say…? Ordered? Orderly?”

Kate smiled shyly. “I have noticed that everything is in its place in that house, if that’s what you mean.”

“Yes, you’ve never seen such order,” Annie replied. “Though he hosted my debut ball there and I must say it was absolutely lovely. Perfect actually.” She laughed.

“It was,” Lily agreed, nodding.

“The ball he hosted for me was lovely too,” Kate said with a dreamy look surely in her eye, but she wasn’t so much remembering the ball as the kiss afterward.

“Did Medford dance with Louisa?” Lily asked.

“Absolutely,” Kate replied.

“I knew it,” Annie said. “Medford’s a capital fellow. I mean, he owns a printing press for goodness’ sake. He’s not about to say no to dancing with a housemaid.”

Kate giggled at that. “He didn’t. And here I thought it was my plain roots that made me think it was a good idea.”

“It’s an excellent idea,” Lily replied. “Absolutely excellent.”

The three women spent the morning talking, laughing, and telling stories. By the time they arrived at their destination more than an hour later, Kate was feeling as if they were old friends. A pang of loneliness beat in her chest. But they weren’t old friends, and they wouldn’t be. She might spend a few pleasant hours with these nice ladies but they would be separated soon by prison and—she gulped—possibly worse. And even if she were not found guilty, it was not as if Lady Lily and Lady Annie would remain friends with her. A former duchess with a blackened reputation including murder charges and a thwarted divorce? Why, just being seen with her could ruin them. No wonder they’d taken the extra precaution of bringing two coaches to the countryside.

The coach pulled to a stop and Annie let the coachman help her down before turning back around to address Lily and Kate. “You two stay here. I’ll ensure no one is about. We can’t have anyone seeing you.”

Kate nodded but felt hideously conspicuous. She was putting her new friends in danger by asking them to accompany her on this trip. Even though they were taking precautions to keep her identity and location a secret, there was always the possibility that someone might see her and trace her back to James’s house.

“Where exactly are we?” Kate asked Lily after Annie left.

“We’re on a farm outside Jordan’s estate,” Lily replied. “We asked the owners to allow us to come and stay for the day. They were going to town today as a matter of fact and won’t be here. It’s perfect.”

Kate clapped her hands. Leave it to the efficient sisters to plan everything so well.

Only a few minutes later, Annie returned and motioned for them to follow. “They’ve got the barn all ready for us,” she said. “And there isn’t another soul for miles.”

“Excellent,” Lily replied, and the coachman helped the other two women down the steps. Just as Lily had predicted, the wind in the country was bracing, but Annie quickly explained the plan. “We decided we would stay in the barn, mostly, to escape the cold, but if you’d like to build a snowman or something, just say the word.” She giggled and Kate returned her happy smile.

“The barn will do nicely,” Kate said. “I’m already freezing.”

“And there’s a surprise for you too, Lily,” Annie added with a wink.

“What?”

“A litter of piglets was born in the fall. Two of the babies are still with their mum.”

Lily squealed and Kate finally had an answer to her question. Apparently highborn ladies squealed when they were happy too. She suppressed her smile.

“You’ll have to excuse me, Kate. I love animals of all sorts. Especially baby ones,” Lily said with a laugh.

“Oh, I’ve always adored piglets,” Kate said. “Where are they?”

“Follow me.” Annie motioned and Kate and Lily stepped behind her toward the barn. If the men’s coach had already arrived, Kate didn’t see it anywhere. She had to pinch the inside of her arm to keep from asking Annie where James was. He’d arrive soon enough, she told herself. And in the meantime, why, there were piglets.

They stepped inside the barn, and familiar smells immediately surrounded Kate: hay, animals, wood. She breathed it in. She’d never thought she’d miss the smell of a barn. But she did. She desperately did.

A movement off to the side caught her attention. Kate looked over and immediately froze. The men were already there. James leaned against a stall, his boots crossed at the ankles, looking particularly handsome in fawn-colored buckskin breeches, a white lawn shirt, and a midnight-blue wool overcoat. The man looked wonderful in a cravat and topcoat but he looked even more ravishing in less formal attire.

“There you are,” called a handsome man whom Kate didn’t recognize. “Lily, did Annie tell you there are piglets here?”

“She did, Jordan,” Lily called back. “And I cannot wait to see them.”

Ah, so the handsome man was Annie’s husband. A very nice choice, indeed.

“They’re here,” Jordan replied, gesturing to the stall next to where the three men stood.

Lily, Annie, and Kate edged closer and all three leaned over to look inside the stall. The mama pig was curled up in a pile of hay in the back of the stall snuggling her two little piglets.

“That may be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Lily whispered. “They’re still so tiny.”

“Apparently, they’re a special breed that doesn’t get very big,” Jordan added.

“Don’t even think about it,” the third handsome man warned, arching a brow. He had to be Lord Colton, and he was just as good-looking as his wife was beautiful.

“What?” Lily asked innocently, pushing the tip of her slipper into a bit of hay. “And this, by the way, is my husband, Kate. The Marquis of Colton, but you may call him Devon.”

“And this,” Annie Holloway said, “is my husband, the Earl of Ashbourne, or just Jordan.”

Kate curtsied. “Very nice to meet both of you. Please call me Kate.” She glanced up at the four of them. My, but these were good-looking people. The Marquis of Colton was tall, dark, and handsome, and his friend the Earl of Ashbourne had silver eyes that were positively breathtaking. But despite the attractive company, Kate’s entire being was riveted to the third equally good-looking man in the barn. James.

The other two men bowed to her while James remained leaning against the stall door. She didn’t look at him. She swallowed. Was he remembering their kiss the other night too? She hadn’t seen him since then. Hadn’t spoken to him. And now their being together was positively … awkward.

Annie winked at Lily. “Seeing these piglets, Lily, I know you’re thinking exactly what I’m thinking.”

Kate turned back to listen to the conversation.

“And that is?” Jordan Holloway asked his wife.

“That there are two of them. Lily and I could each take one.”

“I should have known that’s what you were going to say,” Jordan replied with a grin, smacking himself on the forehead.

“I am not about to take a pig into the house,” Devon said. “We’ve already got a raccoon.”

“And we’ve already got a fox,” Jordan added.

Kate shook her head. Surely they were jesting. And she had no idea what a raccoon was. But she couldn’t take her eyes off the cute little baby pigs.

“Not to mention, I doubt pigs make very good pets,” Devon continued.

Lily opened her mouth to speak but Kate interrupted. “Actually, they make excellent pets.”

All four of them turned to look at her.

“They do?” Annie asked.

Kate nodded. “Yes. The little runt there reminds me of the pig I had when I was a girl.”

“You had a pig?” James asked, pushing his shoulder off the stall door and walking toward her. She did her best to ignore the rush of heat his voice sent up her spine.

She nodded. “I did. A little pink one named Margaret.”

“See,” Annie said to her husband. “Kate’s had a pig and says they do make good pets.”

“Excellent pets. You can train them just like any dog, and they’re quite loyal.” Kate sighed. “I’d give absolutely anything to have a pig again.”

James gave her an inquiring look. Oh dear, what he must think of her. A duchess with a pet pig, what was next?

Annie lowered her voice. “Let’s let the mama feed her babies, and we’ll have breakfast. It should be all set up in the little cottage down the pasture.”

The group made its way out of the barn and across the fields, the brisk wind whipping along their hair and cheeks. Annie led them to the copse of trees on the edge of the forest where a small whitewashed cottage stood nestled among the evergreens. The cottage reminded Kate of the ones that had been sprinkled along the lands where her parents’ home had been. A wave of homesickness hit her. It was so nice of these people to bring her here. To give her this experience. How could she ever repay them?