The private study was bathed in the warm afternoon light, but Ryan barely noticed. He stood before a gilded mirror, carefully adjusting the set of his dark blue superfine coat, ensuring it lay perfectly over his tailored waistcoat and crisp white cravat. His dark hair, usually styled with a degree of casual elegance, was today arranged with particular neatness. On his desk, beside a stack of work papers he'd been attending to, lay a small, beautifully wrapped gift – a delicate silver locket he'd commissioned, engraved with a tiny wildflower, Suzy's favorite flower. He intended to give it to her at the orphanage jubilee, a small token of his love and appreciation for all her hard work.
Davis entered the study, his footsteps quiet on the thick carpet. "Your Grace, the carriage is ready and waiting downstairs," he announced.
