It was a warm July Saturday night when the Morcerf family threw their grand ball. By ten o'clock, the mansion's garden trees stood dark against a sky full of stars, the last clouds from an earlier storm finally clearing away. Music drifted from the ground floor, waltzes and lively dances, while light blazed through the shutters. Outside, about ten servants bustled around the garden, preparing for dinner under their mistress's orders.
The weather had been uncertain all day, and no one knew whether dinner should be served indoors or outside on the lawn. But now, with the beautiful starlit sky overhead, the decision was made. They'd eat outside. Colored lanterns hung throughout the gardens in festive style, and the long dining table glittered with candles and elaborate flower arrangements.
