It was as he watched them, eyes only for each other, and attempting not to touch hands as if held by magnetic attraction, that he realised he had spent the better part of two days sorting out the love lives of others, and had paid no attention to his own. He wanted to see Henry, wanted to see the look on her face, knowing he had helped her cousin, just because the girl was her cousin, and she cared for her. Then an awful thought struck him. What if she had not yet heard, what if Newbold had sought the interview with Lord Elstead already? His blood ran cold. It lacked but a quarter hour to one o’clock. He could not just turn up as they were about to sit down to a luncheon. He would have to bide his time until three. No, he would call early, at two o’clock, hoping that was after any meal and lie, if he had to, to see Henry alone.

Mr Newbold thought that Henrietta looked charming in a gown he could not recall seeing before. It was a new promenade dress, and since they did not want to arrive for the bridge-opening ceremony so late that the carriages could get no closer than Charing Cross, Lady Elstead had decided that they should be dressed ready to depart as soon as they had eaten. She also selected Henrietta’s new dress. Mr Newbold had become so particular in his attentions that a declaration must surely be imminent, and nothing would spur him on better than Henrietta looking her best in a new gown. Lady Elstead was so sure that she had crossed all the other names off Henrietta’s list of suitors.

It was a slightly odd luncheon ‘party’, since he was the only person not part of the family, and its significance was not lost upon him. Lady Elstead’s ‘hint’ irked him. Lord Martley was present, and combined the look of a man in a blissful dream with the insecurity of one whose suit had first been rejected.

Of course, Lady Elstead just had to tell Mr Newbold how ‘absolutely thrilled’ everyone in the family was that Lord Martley had offered for ‘our dearest Caroline’, which made Lord Martley squirm. Mr Newbold gave no sign that he had every reason to think this had not been the case a few days past, though what might have changed he knew not. It made Henrietta the happier, so he was quite genuine in wishing the young couple well.