It was not simply the gentle glow she felt around her from wearing the magnificent necklace again with the soft luminescence of the silver tissue gown to enhance it. It was the first evening she had been the cynosure of all eyes—at least for several moments. She shifted uneasily under the probing gaze of so many of society, even though she well knew that the attention would transfer to another shortly. Still, she found it auspicious in her future search for a husband that she had gained the attention of so many, at least for the nonce. It took her awhile to examine all the boxes to see a familiar face she had met in her recent forays into the upper strata of the ton. Fans fluttered before faces of women she recognized. Gentlemen turned aside to comment on something to their companions. She was silly, for it was unlikely they spoke of her—yet she wished she knew the topic of their gossip. Suddenly, a disturbance occurred in the box across from the Gresham’s, and her attention immediately focused there.
