Chapter 6
The next few days were a social whirl, with many more local people, young and old, joining the existing crowd for nightly parties. The spacious reception rooms were increasingly crowded and rang with laughter and chatter. As many of their guests were leaving before the New Year, the Grants made this an excuse for an excess of jollity in the week following Christmas Day.
Jonathan was obliged to make up a four in the card games with the older visitors in a downstairs parlour which had been designated as a card room, at least for an evening or two. Although he did not mind this at all, it did mean that he was unable to get his chance to engineer Mr. Hammond and Belinda to have a dance together.
Rather than lingering amongst the dancers, Mr. Hammond cheerfully joined his elders. H
