‘I have walked upon parts of the great dyke created by Offa, a king in England, but not of England. It is a remarkable structure, of great length, and where I was walking above the valley of the River Wye, it is most commanding. When one considers the size of the available population to construct such an earthwork it becomes an even greater feat.’

‘I am sure that is true, Mr Soughton. I confess that I have never seen it.’

This was an error, in that it meant Mr Soughton, confident that nothing he said might be challenged, gave a monologue for the next ten minutes, and Henrietta was only saved by Miss Clifton, who overheard the words ‘Tintern Abbey’ and asserted that Mr Wordsworth’s poem upon it was ‘very good and metrical’, but that she preferred it when he utilised rhyme. Henrietta escaped, seeing that the gentleman on her other side was addressing his plate, not his neighbour, and enquired whether he had attended any of the plays in Drury Lane recently.

When the ladies withdrew, Henrietta did so with no small degree of relief. Caroline, who had observed from a safe distance along the table, whispered her own thankfulness that she had not suffered from ‘an excess of Gerald’.

‘He is quite inexhaustible, I must say. Oh dear, and here comes Lady Soughton, who will not doubt tell me how fortunate I am to have been able to hear his words of wisdom.’

Caroline stepped back, in what Henrietta later described as a very cowardly manner, and Lady Soughton delivered gushing praise of her son’s intellectual powers. Henrietta feared she was to be singled out by him when the gentlemen rejoined the ladies, but she was fortunate, in that Mr Newbold managed to reach her first, and Mr Soughton had to seek an audience elsewhere.

‘I applaud you, Miss Gaydon.’

‘You do, Mr Newbold? Why so?’

‘Because you kept a straight face so that all but the keenest observers would not have noticed how difficult that was to achieve.’

‘Which implies, sir, that you are one such “keen observer”.’ Henrietta raised an eyebrow.

‘Of course, ma’am.’ He did not say whether in general, or of her, but she blushed slightly, nevertheless.

‘I am not sure which was worse, sir, having to be the auditor-in-chief, or trying not to laugh when he was boring Miss Clifton.’

‘Indeed. I came to the conclusion that she is either one of those young ladies who, if they secure a husband, will become a formidable matron whom none dare defy, or she is slightly hard of hearing, and strong in opinion.’

‘I always think “securing a husband” sounds rather desperate, as though one had captured and tied the man, like a horse at pasture, and is a most depressing phrase.’

‘Then I apologise for using it, Miss Gaydon. Not that you will have to “secure” a partner.’

‘I will not?’