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At the same time, it was the easiest social interaction of the season. In a contrary way, Elizabeth was disappointed that Harriet had been right. As a Baroness, her natural match, should she chose to marry again, was with another member of the aristocracy. One that was solvent and charming, such as the gentleman on her right.

“Lady Napier, you look very well this evening. That gown is most flattering.”

Elizabeth was not a slave to the latest fashion but had kept Mrs. Brightstone and Mrs. Quentin busy for several months. She had chosen to wear a new gown for the evening, modest as always but still flattering to her curves.

“I understand you have been introduced to our oldest, the heir to the Earldom, Viscount Stonehaven.”

Andrew Fitzwilliam had seen Lady Napier several times at events, but had been unable to spend any length of time with her since that initial supper. He had tried several times but on each occasion he had been stymied. Tonight however, he did not have to share her with others. Yes there would be dinner table conversation with their fellow guests, but finally he would get the chance to converse with Lady Napier, without the presence of his brother.

He knew his parents, his mother particularly, were matchmaking. By inviting her, and demanding that he balance the table, they were making their approval known to him. All without saying the actual words. Now he had to decide if there was anything there, could there be a spark of connection. The Viscount was not a hopeless romantic, yet he did not want a society business transaction. He had seen far too many of them. What he wanted was what he observed with his own parents, a couple that were good together, a woman with a brain, and a man that respected that woman.

He had started to show a preference for older women. Not the age of his mother, but rather women who were past the awkward society maiden stage of their lives. He watched the marriage mart with interest, observing the matches and then seeing what they were like after three to five years. It seemed so hit and miss, there was no pattern as to who turned out in what manner.

A young lady of 23, already widowed, was exactly the kind of person that he was interested in. Not Elizabeth in particular, but rather women in that circumstance. Even something as simple as the colour of her dress was interesting. He had no idea who decided that maidens had to wear bland pastels, but it did so many of them no favours. Lady Napier was in a deep green dress, which brought out the best of her eyes, they seemed to sparkle in concert with her clothes.

What he was refusing to admit to himself, although it was true, was he would be happy to swoop in and ‘steal’ Lady Napier away from his brother. He had not forgotten the punch.

But as he was about to discover, Lady Napier had opinions, and was not afraid either by convention or parental scowling, from expressing them.

“How have you found your first season Lady Napier?”

Elizabeth had given the matter a lot of thought.

“If I had to summarise it in one word then I think it would be ‘necessary’.

“Necessary?”

She nodded.

“Yes, it was necessary to enter into society in a wholehearted manner. I could not stand at the side of the figurative pond and dip my toe in the water. I needed to embrace the season, both the good and the parts that were less enjoyable. I have learned from the experience, and will be better prepared, and known, next year.”

“Known?”

“At Twelfth Night if you had canvassed the Ton I would have been thought of as nothing but a young woman, a blatant fortune hunter, who had successfully dug for gold. It is another aspect of this season, allowing society to take their measure of me, just as I have taken my measure of them.”

“I had not realised that everyone was so steadfastly against you.”

“A 21 year old young lady meets and marries a Baron well into his 70s and then inherits less than six months later. That is the very epitome of a gold digger. That the story is nothing like that, and there is a lot that remains unknown, did not stop society from jumping to the seemingly obvious conclusion. The truth is considerably more nuanced. Unfortunately for me, I may have been exonerated in the eyes of society, yet at the same time, I am now dealing with gentlemen openly displaying the same motives that were ascribed to me.

“It is interesting that society is less censorious of impecunious gentlemen digging for gold than they are of young ladies.”

Andrew Fitzwilliam knew not to blindly wander into such a verbal trap. But there was still a vine to trip him up.

“Rather than challenge that statement I will merely state that I had not realised it was so bad.”

Elizabeth eyed him, her look longer than was normally comfortable.

“You did not realise that society is tilted in favour of men? I see.”

The conversation still flowed between them but the Viscount knew he had been found wanting. Lady Napier was still charming, there were no awkward pauses and on the surface it was light and convivial. What hurt the most, to his pride and self-worth, was that Lady Napier had dismissed him as a typical male boor. And there was no way for him to redeem himself at the dinner table.

At the end of the evening Lady Napier was the first to leave.

--

“Why have you dragged me from the barracks at this ungodly hour?”

Andrew Fitzwilliam needed someone to talk to, and his brother won the honour. That he was stationed at Hyde Park Barracks and therefore right beside the Park was nothing but a coincidence.