Penelope had barely managed to enjoy her small victory over Lord Adrian when she decided that the afternoon had become rather too crowded with people whose company she could no longer tolerate.
Anthony's presence alone was enough to test the limits of her patience, but the satisfaction of having persuaded Lord Adrian to accompany Francesca had done something to restore her spirits.
For the first time since arriving at the gathering, she felt that she had managed to accomplish something without him finding a way to turn it against her. It was a modest achievement, certainly, but Penelope had long since learned that modest achievements were often the only sort available to a woman in her position.
