—Act V, Scene 1 The dinner party before the betrothal ball was purported to be of a select nature, yet by gazing upon the invited people filling the drawing room of Rasthough House awaiting the call to dinner, it bore a striking resemblance in size to one of Prinney’s famous Carlton House banquets. In truth, an invitation to the dinner had become a social necessity to any with pretensions of position and was regarded dearer than an admittance card to Almack’s. Gentlemen, pressed by their wives and their pockets because of the side bets placed in the clubs on Lady Elizabeth’s comeuppance, jovially importuned the Earl of Rasthough for invitations. Widows flirted shamelessly with him to the same effect or turned to Lady Romella Wisgart, so sweet in their congratulations. Still others sought invitations from the betrothed couple with warm compliments and subtle, or not so subtle, hints that an invite would be welcomed. Lady Helene Monweithe and her swain, the Honorable Frederick Shiperton, naively took it as their due.
