Chapter 3Adrian was thankful he had not encountered the gentleman for the remainder of the evening. The following day, it was not difficult to banish his disturbing image from his mind, as the task of looking after his female relatives and diffusing family arguments was more demanding than usual.
He had a fractious morning helping his aunt persuade Chloe that an over-flounced gown liberally sprinkled with silver thread was unsuitable for that evening’s assembly at the prestigious Power’s Court Ballroom in the nearby High Street. When the young lady stormed out of the room in a tearful rage, his aunt exclaimed that it was typical of her strong-minded daughter to hide away such an outrageous garment only to produce it for an important occasion.
Aunt Maria confided that she had deliberately
