‘Nor I, but I believe it is “a place to be seen”, so we shall be seen.’ Henrietta rose, made her uncle a polite curtsey and left, hoping to be able to speak privately with Caroline before they went out. It might not advance Lord Martley’s cause, but it could not do any harm.

Since most of the younger set were unaware that the Exhibition of Sculpture was ‘a place to be seen’, they encountered none of the gentlemen they desired to meet, or would have been happy to meet, and in fact after half an hour of rather fruitless promenading, Lady Elstead declared that she had seen more than enough ‘arms, legs and urns’ for a month. However, since the horses were put to, it gave them the opportunity to stop at Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, where Lady Elstead had sent an emerald earring to be repaired when one of the stones had become loose. Whilst an employee disappeared to see if her ladyship’s jewel had already been repaired, Henrietta and Caroline enjoyed themselves surveying the sort of pieces only worn by married ladies, and spending imaginary hundreds of pounds. The assistant returned, apologetic that the earring would not be ready until two days hence, since they had been unaware that her ladyship would be calling for it herself today, but Lady Elstead remained gracious, right up until the moment she left the premises, and stepped in front of Lady Pirbright. If air could freeze from emotion, said Henrietta later, there would have been a frozen wall between them in an instant. Both ladies first tried to pretend that they did not see the other, then feigned delight so badly it would have been laughable, had it not been so important to Caroline.

‘Lady Elstead.’

‘Lady Pirbright.’

‘I trust I find you well, and the young ladies also?’ Lady Pirbright stressed the ‘young’ to emphasise Lady Elstead’s age.

‘Oh, we are all in good health, I assure you. Of course you and I, Lady Pirbright, are firmly matronly these days.’

‘Oh, in years, perhaps, but I have never felt “matronly”; it is such a “round” word.’ Lady Pirbright smiled brightly, being so slender.

‘Ah yes, you never had much “neck”, did you. So “boyishly slim”, we always thought.’ Lady Elstead made ‘we’ sound like all the rest of society.

‘I am proud to say that my lord can still span his hands about my waist.’

‘Indeed, though at times he must wish they were about your throat.’

At this very open insult, delivered with a smile of pure malice, Henrietta and Caroline actually gasped, and Caroline then added a groan. Lady Pirbright matched the smile, and dropped her voice.

‘When one is reduced to that level, ma’am, it is an admission of defeat.’ She nodded at the girls in a dismissive way, and swept around them to enter the jeweller’s.

‘Mama,’ breathed Caroline, horrified. ‘In public too.’