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She rolled her eyes and gave a soft chuckle. ‘Siblings. They truly are the worst.’

Robert pressed his fingertips to his forehead and felt some of the annoyance dissipate with her words.

‘Whatever he said, don’t take it to heart.’

He looked at her and a smile broke free collapsing the rest of his tension to nothing. ‘Thank you,’ he mumbled.

Her smile was understanding. ‘Come, will you walk with me for a little while?’

He offered her his arm, and she took it. They walked in silence for a little while until Robert felt it incumbent upon him to at least attempt to converse.

‘Are you enjoying your day?’ he asked. Well, that was positively scintillating, he thought to himself.

‘I am. Thank you for asking. It’s been quite a whirlwind. I don’t think I have ever had so much attention paid to me.’

‘It must be very nice.’

‘Yes and no,’ she said.

He looked down at her. ‘Not nice?’

‘Oh, it’s been lovely, but I am quite exhausted.’

‘People can be very exhausting,’ he said with some feeling, and she laughed up at him.

‘They can indeed.’

He looked down at her and had the strongest feeling that she meant that.

By the end of the evening, Eliza was positively exhausted. Her feet ached, her back ached, but she was happy. She had met so many people, danced so many dances, and smiled until her cheeks hurt.

Haryo and Lady Morpeth came to sit by her as she flopped into a chair.

‘I think you can call that a spectacularly good evening,’ Lady Morpeth said as she sat with a sigh of relief.

‘With certainty,’ Haryo said on a groan.

‘Thank you both so much. All of this would never have happened without your help.’

‘It was our pleasure, my dear,’ Lady Morpeth said, graciously. Haryo just smiled tiredly.

‘And so it begins,’ Haryo said, with an elegant wave of the hand. ‘The season has… begun.’

Eliza wanted to hug herself and hold the moment close as long as she could. There were still a few people milling about, talking, laughing, and stretching the evening out until its very end. She was pleased when Hannah came and sat with them. She, too, looked tired, but happy.

‘What a splendid day,’ she said. ‘I trust you have enjoyed yourself.’

‘It has been wonderful,’ she said, smiling at them all. ‘Thank you all for making it so.’

‘You certainly had lots of dance partners,’ Haryo said. ‘They were positively queueing at the door!’

Eliza laughed.

‘And talking of dance partners, here is one now…’ Lady Morpeth said, and smiled widely at Bear Ellice and the Lieutenant Colonel.

Eliza’s heart thumped a little harder as the two gentlemen bowed and then joined them. Bear sat next to Hannah, and that seemed to please her. In fact, Hannah had danced with him twice and had sat with him over supper. She hoped this meant that Hannah was feeling more positive about the future.

The Lieutenant Colonel sat beside her. He also seemed to have regained his composure from whatever had upset him earlier in the evening. He was watching Hannah talk to his brother.