Lady Tremaine remained silent, fidgeting with a spare thread on the hem of her sleeve, trying to avoid Lady Hackle’s question. “Will you just look at that?” she said, showing her friend the thread on her sleeve. “I’d better bring it to Rebecca’s attention.”

Lady Hackle gave her friend a knowing look. “Come on, my dear, something is going on between the two of you, you can’t deny it. And I want to know everything, now spill!” she said, laughing and prodding her friend.

“I don’t deny it, Prudence, I just don’t know where to begin. He’s perfect. In every single possible way,” said Lady Tremaine.

Lady Hackle looked very pleased with herself. “What did you talk about? What did he say?” Lady Hackle asked, leaning in as if Lady Tremaine were about to tell her a secret.

“We spent much of the time talking about his home, how lovely it was and how lonely he’s been since his wife passed away. He talked of wanting a mother for his daughter, someone to raise her, and to be a wife to him. He spoke of combining our wealth to create a secure future for our children, and for ourselves,” she said, drifting off to their conversation, remembering how much she wanted him to kiss her. But he was far too much the gentleman to do so.

“Did he ask you to marry him?” her friend asked, clearly eager to see if she could commend herself on her matchmaking skills.

“Not yet. I think he wanted to see if I was disposed to the idea before proposing,” said Lady Tremaine, still looking at the bit of thread on her sleeve.

She didn’t want her friend to know how very much she liked this gentleman. She didn’t really want to admit it to herself. It all seemed so sudden, so out of the blue, and she wondered if she was being foolish. But that’s how things were done in these circles—you met someone, married them, and then found out after you were married if you were a good match. If you were, all the better, and if not, then you spent most of your time apart. Most marriages in Lady Tremaine’s circle were about combining families, social capital, and resources. Too few were inspired by actual love. She had been fortunate with her first marriage. Not only did her family approve of the match, but they were a good couple. But she had somehow thought the second time she found love she would do things differently, take her time. And now she found herself dashing into another marriage without knowing much about the gentleman.

“What will you say if he asks you tonight? You have to say yes,” said Lady Hackle, pink-cheeked as if it were she herself who was in love.