“I am Scottish actually,” Margaret interrupted, irked by his smooth, urbane manner, “and I am not a visitor but a resident with no requirement to oblige you. The policy, as every New Yorker knows, is that you wait in line at Delmonico’s no matter who you are.”

“I am aware of the policy,” the man replied equably, his smile remaining annoyingly fixed in place. “I dine here regularly. If you could see your way to accommodating my request, I would be happy to pay for your meal—and for your friends, too, for I assume you are not dining alone.”

“Whether I am or not,” Margaret said, her hackles rising, “is frankly none of your business.”

“Your dining companions are late, or you are early,” the man persisted. “Why take up a table when you could—”

“Surrender it to someone who can’t be bothered waiting?” Margaret snapped, by now thoroughly rattled.

“Do a fellow a good turn, will you not, miss? I wouldn’t normally ask, but we are running late, and are expected at another engagement in just over an hour, so—”

“Then you will have to choose between arriving late or arriving hungry. And here are my friends,” Margaret said, waving to Mary Louise and Jane. “If you will excuse us. Come, ladies,” she said, turning her back and following a waiter into the dining room.

“What on earth was that all about?” Mary Louise asked, as they sat down. “You look quite flustered.”

“Some entitled fellow in a suit tried to bribe me into giving up our place in the line. The gall of him!”

“Who was he?”

“I have absolutely no idea.”

“Oh my, we are in exalted company tonight!” Jane nodded over at the doorway, where a party of four were being ushered in. “The one with the whiskers is Cornelius Vanderbilt. I’m surprised you don’t recognise him—he’s the richest man in New York.”

“And the one on his right is his eldest son, William,” Mary Louise informed her. “I think that’s Goelet on his left, the founder of the Chemical Bank.”

“The young man with them, raising his glass and smiling over at us, is the man who accosted me. Clearly the people next in line had no qualms about accepting a free dinner,” Margaret said, glowering.

“That’s Randolph Mueller,” Jane said. “He’s an attorney, a well-known deal maker. He creates trust funds, ties up property acquisitions, that sort of thing. Makes sure the rich stay rich and no doubt amasses a small fortune for himself in the process.”

“There’s nothing wrong with earning an honest crust,” Mary Louise said.

“If it is honest,” Jane said darkly, before shaking her head. “No, that’s not fair. One of the reasons he’s so successful is that Randolph Mueller is said to be clean as a whistle and sharp as a needle. Did he really try to bribe you with a free dinner, Margaret?”