Attending the Perth ball was most uncharacteristic of Lieutenant Fotherby but Miss Simmons had requested that he should. Fotherby would have liked her to have attended by his side but she had returned to London a week before Major Tenterchilt’s invitation had arrived. Her father had escorted her to Derbyshire and the pair had resided in Wanderford Hall for four weeks over April and May. It had been Fotherby’s hope that his father might meet and approve of his choice of fiancée and, indeed, his father found her to be a charming girl, while Sergeant Simmons spent a good deal of time with Fotherby’s uncle. Simmons’ father had been a gamekeeper and it was on this topic that the two men happily talked most evenings.

Fotherby returned from the ball some days after the event, and was seated no...

Please subscribe to keep reading.