As soon as Ella received the invitation she knew she had to go to the party alone. No stuffy maids as chaperones for her! The ride had been achingly boring even though she'd taken along one of Miles Rochester's books to reread. The scandalous stories he wrote! They made her giggle, but even Miles's clever tales couldn't keep her from growing bored on her trip.
When she finally arrived she practically bounded out of the carriage and up to the door. She knocked quickly, then set about taking off her gloves and untying the wide ribbons holding her bonnet on.