She ceased to be a very young girl, and became more independent; though, since her jilting of Fitzclare, people had tended to treat her as a wayward and troublesome child who might have yet more dangerous qualities growing inside her. Some mothers of fresh debutantes went so far as to advise their daughters not to make friends with Diana Blentham. When Lady Blentham heard of this she told Diana that, if her father had not been so conscientious about attending the House of Lords, and if she, Angelina, had not felt it her duty to go with him, there would have been no more London Seasons for any of the family. Diana would have had to make do with the local society, and occasional visits to relations, none of whom except Violet was likely to find a husband for her. It was Angelina who implied this, but it was Lord Blentham who thought Diana a pure idiot for throwing over Julian Fitzclare. He had said so, quite calmly, when she was still in a very bad state of mind over her broken engagement.
