The next day she had been on pins and needles, though she hadn’t told her parents why. Her Edward was coming to call.

It was strange how it had only taken a few minutes in his presence to start to think of him that way, her Edward.

She’d taken more care than usual dressing that morning and had picked out her prettiest emerald green skirt and light green blouse. Red was her favorite color, always had been, but she knew that green suited her skin tone and set off her emerald green eyes.

She had fidgeted so much through breakfast and afterwards that her mother had asked her if she was all right, her only response had been to check her hair in the mirror above the fireplace one more time.

Would he come or would he forget? Had she imagined the whole incident? Her mother had always said she had an overactive imagination.

At the first knock on the door she had jumped and waited for the maid to get it, but it was only the postman delivering a letter for her father, so she sat and fidgeted some more. She was truly beginning to believe that she really had made up the whole encounter in the gardens when there was another knock at the door.

She couldn’t help the bright smile that pulled up the corner of her lips when she heard Edward’s rich voice. “Is Miss. Ward home?”

She didn’t even wait for the maid to answer him and she was rushing to the foyer, barely noticing her mother’s stunned expression. Her daughter never behaved like this and she never, ever gave any of her suitors permission to call on her.

Edward looked more handsome to her than he had the previous night. Today in his light grey frock coat and sapphire blue tie set off his tall, lean figure to perfection, so much so that she didn’t notice the bouquet of calla lilies in his hand.

Funny thing was he looked just as thrilled to see her as she obviously was to see him.

The maid giggled since her presence obviously wasn’t necessary and she ran off to attend to her other duties.

They just continued to stand there, staring at each other with silly grins on their face, each too taken with the other to realize that her mother had come up behind her. Clearing her throat to get their attention she whispered. “Elizabeth, dear, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend and invite him in?”