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‘Of course,’ Haryo said. ‘The Dowager Lady Grey may be difficult, but she understands the need for appearances to be maintained and standards to be set.’

Aunt Bess nodded.

‘Though things have changed a great deal since her day.’

Aunt Bess sniffed. ‘And mine. Very havey cavey these days. All that partying until early hours of the morning. Who on earth has the energy for that?’

Haryo laughed. ‘Who indeed.’

‘I spoke to Sally Jersey. She should have vouchers for Almack’s, but we may have to wait and see.’

Haryo leaned over and kissed her aunt’s cheek gently. ‘You are the best, and most favourite of my aunts,’ she said.

‘Hmm. Remember that.’

‘Of course I will.’

Her aunt’s gaze drifted about the room and then halted. Haryo looked over to see what had caught her attention and saw Lord Granville. He was oblivious to her gaze, as he was deep in conversation with a politician she recognised, but could not put a name to.

Haryo couldn’t help the sinking feeling in her heart as she watched her aunt watch him. ‘Handsome, isn’t he?’ she said after the looking became uncomfortable.

Aunt Bess turned to her, a speculative look in her eye. ‘He is. Have you given my suggestion any consideration?’

‘Indeed, I have given it a lot of thought. I also took the step of speaking to Lord Granville about it.’

‘And?’

‘We have decided to be friends.’

‘Pfft. Friends. What good is being friends?’ Aunt Bess glanced back at Lord Granville. ‘That won’t keep you warm at night.’

Haryo swallowed and decided that silence would suit best, else lest she say something that she might regret. She loved her aunt, but there was a limit to her endurance.

‘You would struggle to find a better man,’ she said.

Haryo wanted nothing more than to drop the subject, but it was not to be, and the words simply tumbled out.

‘He is the very best. But there is one small snag.’

‘What?’ Her aunt turned to her with a frown.

Harriet sighed. ‘Lord Granville is still in love with you, my dearest and most beloved of my aunts, and that is something that I cannot countenance. If I marry, it will be to someone who loves me. Only me.’ She kissed her cheek again and drifted as elegantly as she could over to where Eliza’s sister, Hannah, stood, leaving Aunt Bess looking stunned.

Lord Granville watched the exchange between Harriet and Bess from across the room. He would have sold his bays to find out what was going on. When Haryo leaned in and said something to Bess then sauntered off, leaving Bess looking as though she had been run over by a carriage, it didn’t require the work of a genius to guess the content of the conversation.

He smiled at his companion and managed to hold up his end of the conversation until he spotted Bess heading his way. He excused himself and went to greet her, bowing over her hand.

They exchanged niceties, and she smiled up at him. ‘You talked to Haryo.’

‘I did. It did not take us long to work out that you had given the same advice to us both.’

‘And you are going to be… friends.’

The derision in her tone stung, but he didn’t let it show. He smiled politely and acknowledged the hit. ‘We are, and one has to admit that it is an improvement on our previous frosty encounters. At least she is speaking to me now.’

Bess dusted a speck from his jacket. He wished she would not indulge in such obvious displays of affection and intimacy, and when it was possible to do so discretely, he moved his person out of reach.

‘But,’ she continued, ‘you have not attempted to woo her.’