A sigh of relief escaped as she listened to the groom’s receding footsteps. The man took his duty seriously for he had passed that way thrice since she had been there waiting. Another ten minutes, and she would have to return to the house. At any moment, she expected to see several servants advance upon the garden in search of her. Anxiety raced through her and she fought the urge to rub her arms. At the sound of horse’s hooves upon the cobbled street outside the gate, she leaned out of her hiding spot to look through the wrought-iron bars. The dark mahogany gleam of the coach looked familiar. Hoping the darkness of her morning garb would catch the driver’s attention, she stepped forward and raised a hand. The man perched atop the conveyance pulled back on the reins to stop the vehicle. As he climbed down, his sand-toned hair and dark blue long coat brought a smile to Katherine’s lips, her anxiety receding. His feet had barely touched ground when the coach door flew open and a group of roughly garbed boys climbed out.
