“Evelina,” Lady Searington called, just as Evelina was opening the door to her bedchambers.

“Coming, Aunt Hazel,” she called back, closing the door firmly behind her and making her way to the staircase. As she descended, she could see her aunt and cousins waiting for her at the bottom. The two younger women were talking excitedly to one another, and the viscountess was smiling up at her warmly.

“Are you ready to go, darling?” she asked.

Evelina nodded, blushing.

“Yes,” she said shyly. “Though, I can hardly believe it is finally happening.”

The viscountess embraced her, squeezing her gently.

“Well, believe it, my dear,” she said. “It is happening, and it is going to be a splendid coming-out ball, indeed. And you are certainly most deserving of such a grand affair.”

Evelina’s blush deepened at her aunt’s benevolent words. Though there had always been great love shown between herself and her aunt and cousins, she was still amazed at the warm reception she had received. She was endlessly grateful to her aunt for agreeing to see to her debut ball. It was an errand she had already undertaken for her daughters, and Evelina thought it was very gracious of her to take on her own coming-out event, as well. When all the hectic activity surrounding her ball was over, Evelina promised herself she would find a way to show her aunt how grateful she was to her. The viscountess released her niece, then gestured for Evelina and her daughters to follow her out to the waiting carriage.

A short time later, the coach came to a stop in front of the modiste’s shop. The store was large, much larger than the storefront implied. To Evelina, it looked as though the ceiling was so high it was almost impossible to reach, which was unusual for any shop in London. It looked to her like a room one might find in a royal palace. She guessed the modiste must be very well-to-do to have such an impressive interior to her shop. The treasure trove of dresses, fabrics, ribbons, and accessories which lay within were just as wonderous and marvelous to her as the shop itself. The rainbow of colors included everything from all the loveliest whites and pastels, which she loved dearly, to brilliant, bright shades of pink and yellow, and even deep, dark-reds, and blues. The fabrics were the finest Evelina had ever seen, including silk come straight from China and India, and the softest cottons from the West Indies and America to be bought in any shop anywhere in England. Evelina talked excitedly with her cousins about the dresses the modiste had chosen to display; everything from simple riding habits to the fanciest ballgowns was displayed for all the patrons of the shop to see. The window, too, was filled with dresses. Evelina thought one of them must be a wedding dress because of its extravagant elegance.

While the younger women continued their awestricken exploration of the shop, the viscountess briefed the modiste on the event for which they were shopping. The seamstress dutifully walked with the women as they browsed the selections, each picking out dresses they wanted to try on. Evelina knew her dress would be white, but she enjoyed trying on other dresses with her aunt and cousins. And it seemed the excitement of the women was contagious, as many of the other women in the shop stopped and admired the dresses which Evelina and the other three ladies chose, each murmuring their approbation. Some of the women even stopped to talk, as they recognized Evelina, and they wished her good luck at her debut. Evelina had forgotten how much she had missed socializing and shopping while she was away at the seminary school, and she was thrilled to be doing both once more.

While the modiste arranged for Evelina’s debut dress to be fitted for her, Henrietta and Helena browsed some fabrics hanging nearby. Though she was facing the mirror, Evelina closed her eyes, choosing to wait to see her dress on her when the modiste and her assistant had finished fitting it. She wanted to see the way she looked in it for the first time with her family, so she could be surprised, as well. Her stomach flitted as the modiste gently and carefully pinned and tucked, and Evelina could not help but smile.

At last, the modiste stepped back from her. Evelina slowly turned her back to the mirror and faced her cousins and aunts, who were apparently enthralled by some richly colored materials just in her line of sight. They had their backs to her, so she softly cleared her throat.

“What do you think?” she asked shyly.

The three women turned around, and they all gasped and covered their mouths with their hands simultaneously. They stared for a moment, none of them moving or speaking. Then, suddenly, her cousins rushed up to her together, each of them grabbing onto one of her arms and gently spinning her, so she was once more facing the mirror. As soon as she saw her reflection, she saw why they had reacted in such a manner.

She had seen the pattern from which her dress was to be designed, and she had chosen the silk material from which it would be made. But she had yet to see how it would look as a completed dress. Now, she stared in awe as she stood wearing the near-finished product. It looked like something the queen or a princess might wear, with its white billowing skirts and full sleeves. The beading was intricate, and the white ribbons flowed down her back, tied together in a delicate bow just at her lower back. Her white gloves had matching beads running all the way up to her elbow, and they were so light, they felt as though she was not wearing gloves at all. She did, indeed, look like royalty.

“Oh, Evelina,” Helena breathed, “you look so beautiful.”

“Like a princess,” Henrietta said, echoing Evelina’s thoughts.

Evelina blushed, feeling every bit a princess. She could hardly believe how lovely her gown looked upon her, and she was filled with nervous excitement for her ball.

“We are all finished, milady,” the modiste said, startling Evelina. She looked down at the woman, surprised.

“Already?” she asked. “You work very quickly.”

The modiste bowed her head modestly.

“You made it very easy, milady,” she said.

“Well, my dears,” the viscountess said, smiling fondly at her daughters and niece. “We must finish up our fittings and return home. There are many preparations still to make before this evening.”

Henrietta and Helena chattered excitedly as the modiste helped Evelina out of her gown and had it packaged up for her. Then, once she was back in her day dress, the modiste made just as short of work of fitting her aunt and cousins into their dresses. While theirs were not as elaborate as hers, each looked ravishing in their soft-blue, green, and lilac dresses, respectively. As she admired them, Evelina thought there could be no women so beautiful gracing her debut that evening than these three. When, at last, they had gathered their finished dresses and begun their trip back to the manor, Evelina felt she might burst with joy and pride in her family.

However, there were, indeed, many preparations remaining when they arrived home. The viscountess set her daughters the errand of overseeing the refreshment arrangements, and she and Evelina overlooked the last of the decorating. As it was a debutante’s ball, there were many white ribbons and flowers, the arrangements punctuated by pale pink carnations. The chairs being lined up for the guests to occupy were also white, with pale pink ribbons streaming in loose curls from their backs. And the ballroom was to be illuminated by a crystal chandelier and several brand-new, bright silver candelabras, set atop tables decorated with more white and pink flowers. As she watched everything slowly coming together as it would be seen by the guests later that evening when she made her official debut into society, Evelina’s heart leaped with joy. She could hardly wait for the party to begin.

A few hours later, the viscountess embraced her, then shooed her up to her bedchambers, calling for Grace to attend to Evelina in her chambers immediately. Evelina squeezed her aunt tightly before going off to get ready as she instructed.

“Thank you, Aunt Hazel,” Evelina whispered, kissing the viscountess on the cheek.

Hazel released her and smiled fondly.

“It is truly a pleasure, my dear niece,” she said. “Now, go. The guests will be arriving in no time.”

Evelina nodded, grinning from ear to ear as she hurried up to her bedchambers, where Grace awaited her.

“Are you ready, milady?” Grace asked, affecting a casual tone, while her eyes sparkled with both amusement and fond emotion.

Evelina giggled and nodded.

“I most certainly am,” she said.

A few short hours later, Evelina was dressed in her princess-like white gown, with matching gloves, and her brand-new, white satin, beaded slippers. Her medium-brown hair was styled to perfection, with fashionable ringlets arranged just so around her face. And around her neck hung the diamond necklace her mother wore the day she had married Evelina’s father. The necklace had been in her mother’s family for many generations, and her father had become quite teary-eyed on presenting it to her before he had departed for the Far East.

“I believe you are ready, milady,” Grace said, at last, stepping back to allow Evelina to look in the mirror. Evelina put a hand to her chest, amazed at how beautiful she looked.

“You have done a wonderful job, Grace,” she said.

The maid blushed and waved her hand.

“You are too kind,” she said. “Shall I go and fetch your uncle? The guests will be arriving at any moment.”

As though punctuating her point, the sudden loud clatter of multiple horses’ hooves pulled Evelina’s attention to her bedchamber window. The first of the guests had just arrived, followed closely behind by several more. She watched in awe as they began exiting their respective coaches and following the butler up to the grand entrance to the manor. She could hardly believe they were all coming there in her honor. She sighed, a mixture of emotions flooding her. She was very excited, indeed. However, she could not help wishing her parents were there to witness her debut. But she knew this was her chance to make them both proud. Even if they could not be there to see it, they were forever in her heart. And she was forever in theirs.

The evening passed by in a blur. From the minute her uncle escorted her into the ballroom and she was formally introduced to society, all eyes were on her. Even throughout dinner, she could sense people looking at her with curiosity and interest, no doubt trying to guess at the success she might have in finding a suitor. It was apparent her father had spared no expense on the event, as well. The meal was the finest she had ever eaten, consisting of a grand, exotic main course, the name of which she was too shy to ask, and ending with the sweetest carved ice and pastries she had ever tasted. The orchestra was one of the largest she could ever recall seeing at any social function, and it played wonderful tunes with skill and passion.

By the end of the night, Evelina was exhausted. She had felt the eyes of gentlemen on her, and it had been clear many of them were anxious to share a dance with her, but her dance card had quickly filled and some were disappointed. She had never experienced such attention, and she hardly knew what to make of it. But once in bed, her fatigue lulled her into a deep, pleasant sleep before she could spend a great deal of time dwelling on the events of the evening.

The next morning, the whole family was buzzing with the excitement of the previous night. Her aunt and uncle discussed how many of the gentlemen would be seeking her affections, and her cousins went on and on about how beautiful she had looked, and how grand the ball had been. Her mind was still spinning when breakfast ended, and she had to slip away, as all the excitement was beginning to overwhelm her. She decided she would spend some time at the pianoforte in her aunt and uncle’s drawing-room. She loved to play the pianoforte, and her aunt had taught her well; she felt it would be just the thing to help her sort her dizzying thoughts about her debut ball and the upcoming season.

She was halfway through her second tune, a classical piece by Beethoven, when Helena burst into the room, startling her. Her cousin rushed over to her, waving something frantically in the air and speaking incoherently. Evelina rose from the bench, reaching out to her cousin and taking her gently by the shoulders.

“What is it?” she asked worriedly. “Calm down. I cannot understand you.”

Helena fanned herself with the paper she was holding, which, Evelina could now see, was a copy of the London Times. She could also see Helena was grinning from ear to ear, not in a panic at all, as Evelina first thought when her cousin had barged in.

“You have been named the Diamond of the Season, Evelina!” Helena cried, thrusting the paper into Evelina’s hands.

“What?” Evelina murmured, scanning the page until she saw the article to which her cousin was referring. Her cousin was right. The article described how beautiful she had looked at her debut ball and about how hers would be the most highly sought-after company throughout the coming season. Her mind reeled. What had she done to deserve such an honor? And how would she manage the expectations that would now be placed on her, along with such a title?

She had very little time to dwell on the matter, however. Just then, the butler entered, announcing the arrival of a potential suitor. Evelina nodded numbly, barely registering the gentleman’s name as she struggled to compose herself. Perhaps, when he had left, she could speak with her aunt and seek her guidance. But there would be no such opportunity. The first nobleman to call on her was to be only the first of more than ten prospective suitors that day. The drawing-room quickly filled up with flowers from each of them, so that the servants had difficulty keeping up. And all the while, Evelina could only think one thing: Mother, I wish you were here.