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Mr. Worsley seemed to be in his mid-twenties and was very handsome.

Mary had to exercise a great deal of self-control to not simply stare at him.

His face was smooth and beautifully angular.

His eyes were the color of dark chocolate bonbons, and his dark brown, almost black, hair was smooth and glossy with just enough wave to make it interesting.

His figure matched his face. He wasn’t particularly muscular, but he moved in such a way as to hint that he was quite strong for his lean frame.

In an effort to avoid staring at him, she simply avoided speaking to him more than absolutely necessary before dinner.

She also made certain he was positioned at a different table from her, so that she could not see him.

She had absolutely no intention of embarrassing her husband by staring at another man when she was supposed to be making a good impression among her husband’s friends.

Fortunately, her efforts did not go to waste. The dinner went well with no real hiccups. Everyone seemed to enjoy the company, and Mary was pleased that her seating plans had not made anyone uncomfortable.

After dinner the ladies withdrew to the parlor. There was just enough seating for them all, and the room felt full, but it was comfortable enough. Mary chatted with Miss Carlton for a time until her attention was taken by Mrs. Peabody then by Mrs. Littleton.

After about half an hour, Mary began to expect the gentlemen to join them, and she began glancing at the clock more often.

When Lady Matlock noticed her doing so, she said, “They will be at least another hour if not more. Every year when those men get together at dinner for the first time, they can’t seem to stop talking.

I sometimes think they even forget about their wives when they are together.

Perhaps reminiscing about their youth somehow takes them back to those days when they had little to no responsibility. ”

“It baffles me why they always do this at dinner,” said Mrs. Carlton.

“You would think that they could just talk at their club, but Mr. Carlton says they always have other things to do at their club than reminisce. I can’t imagine what that is, though.

Whatever goes on in a gentleman’s club will always be a mystery to us ladies. ”

“Perhaps their club is a place for the present, whereas this a time to think about the past,” suggested Mary.

“You are most likely correct,” said Mrs. Turner. “It doesn’t change how irritating it is, though.”

“Perhaps, while they reminisce, you could tell me what charities there are here in London that I could get involved in,” said Mary.

All the ladies present were involved in at least one charitable concern, and their discussion on the subject was extensive and detailed.

Mary thought all of the organizations mentioned were worthwhile, but she knew she would have to limit her efforts to just one or two, so she filed all of her new information away in her memory to think about later.

Eventually, Mr. Allen came to the door and informed Mary that the drawing room was ready for them all. Mary was glad to see him so happy. Talking with his friends must have been very pleasant, indeed.

When the group reconvened in the drawing room, Mary continued her duties as hostess by circulation among the guests, chatting with each briefly, and attempting to learn more about the men who were such good friends to her husband.

She still had every intention of avoiding Mr. Worsley. Even with the pressure of duty forcing her to be more sociable that was natural, she thought that it would be impossible to carry on a conversation with such a handsome man without becoming embarrassed.

Her resolve was tested, however, when Mr. Worsley spoke to her as she was moving from one guest to the next. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Mrs. Allen,” he said.

“That is very kind of you,” she answered, suddenly nervous to be speaking to such a handsome man.

“I’ve known old Allen for almost a decade now, and I would have sworn he would never willingly marry again. He’s such a skinflint, I was sure he would not wish to take on the cost of a wife again. You can bet we all grilled him a good long while about why he suddenly decided to marry,” he said

Mary was stumped. First, she was slightly offended at Mr. Worsley’s slight against her husband, calling him a skinflint.

Second, she didn’t know quite how to respond to his indirect request for more information.

Should she tell him that it was just so Mr. Allen could prevent his cousin from inheriting his property?

Mr. Worsley didn’t give her a chance to decide, however, since he continued.

“He told us all that it was just so he could have another heir, but old Peabody didn’t believe him, nor did Mr. Turner.

They questioned him extensively, but Allen shut up tight like a clam, and none of us could get anything else out of him.

The oddest thing was that the whole time he looked like he was about to burst out laughing.

I’m sure you know that he never laughs, so that just made me even more curious. ”

“I am afraid it truly is as simple as that,” said Mary, “at least as far as I know. He did mention at one point that he wanted someone to manage the charitable concerns his former wife had left behind, but I am certain that was not his primary reason.”

“So, you handle his charities?” he asked. When Mary nodded, Mr. Worsley asked, “Have you heard of the Marine Society?”

Mary shook her head. “Most of what I’ve heard of in London are various types of hospitals,” she said. “What is the Marine Society?”

“They take young city boys, at least thirteen years old, who want to earn an honest living but have no way of learning a trade, and they outfit them and train them to be sailors for the Navy,” said Mr. Worsley.

Mary felt a spark of interest, and she said, louder than she meant to, “But that is marvelous! Most of the charities I’ve heard of merely minister to the poor, but they do little to help them become self-sufficient.

This, however, gives these boys a chance at providing a better life for themselves, and at the same time it helps our country acquire the sailors needed to protect our shores. ”

As she thought about it, she added, “I suppose it does put the poor boys in danger. After all, a life at sea is never a sure thing. On the other hand, if they continued to live in London with no employment, they might not survive anyway. Can you tell me more about it?”

Mr. Worsley seemed surprised at her sudden enthusiasm, but she did not know why he should be, and she was too interested in the subject to care overly much.

Her nervousness disappeared as they talked.

She learned more about how the Marine Society operated.

It wasn’t something she could volunteer for, but she decided that it was a truly worthy cause for donation.

Eventually, she had to circulate among the other guests, but she kept wishing she could go back to Mr. Worsley and talk with him more. She told herself that it was only because she wished to learn more of the Marine Society. She almost believed herself.

After some socializing, Mary ordered the card tables to be set up, and the party settled into the organized chaos of playing cards. The rest of the evening passed pleasantly, though Mary was grateful when the last guest left, and it was quiet.