This was his first visit to Almack's in two or three years, as the establishment, for all its vaunted social sanctity, was not among his favourite places to spend an evening. Of course, if he intended to shackle himself to Miss Winston-Fitts he would have to get used to this sort of thing, he told himself. Surely his constitution could manage twelve Wednesday nights out of the year enduring stale bread and butter and tepid lemonade for the sake of a nonpareil like her. In spite of such bracing speeches to himself, the Earl was already beginning to waver when the Winston-Fittses arrived. However, immediately upon seeing Rosalind, resplendent in white satin overlaid with pale blue net, he felt his resolve to see it through strengthened. Miss O'Day was looking well also, he noted irrelevantly, in a canary silk gown that brought out the highlights in her dark hair. Really, it was almost a pity that petite brunettes were not in his style. Moving forward, he greeted Mr. and Mrs. Winston-Fitts before bowing over Rosalind's hand.
