Chapter One

A slight breeze blew across the room, causing Mia Stanley's single candle to flicker and dance. Leaning away from the writing desk where she'd worked most of the evening, Mia pressed a hand to her growling stomach. She was starving, but there was no time to indulge. And at this hour, their cook, Mrs. McGuire, would be quite cross to have her kitchen dirtied.

Mia's papers suddenly scattered as the breeze increased. "Stuff and nonsense," she muttered, scurrying to recover her work. Mia decided then to conclude her writing for the evening. As if on cue, the grandfather clock at the top of the stairs began to chime. It was nine o'clock.

Time had gotten away from her. Without thought to blot her last line of writing, Mia stacked her papers and secured them by placing several copies of Godey's Lady's Book atop. She would no doubt be late for her meeting if she delayed much longer.

Glancing down at her silk gown, Mia knew it would be unsuitable for the tasks ahead. Yet she could hardly call for Ruth to come and help her change. That would take too much time.

"I should have thought to have them help me when I first retired," she said. The pale blue gown had been quite appropriate for an evening of refined dinner guests and music but would cause her too much attention in the poorer section of town.

Then an idea came to mind. Her mother was known for discarding her gowns and giving them to the maids and such when she'd grown tired of them. Mia had pulled one such gown from the pile just before Ruth