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If there is to be an antidote for the disease of tediuerton House

The entire fa with a hundred or so of their closest friends, to celebrate the dowager viscountess's birthday

It is considered crass to e, and so This Author will not reveal which birthday Lady Bridgerton is celebrating

But have no fear! This Author knows!

LadyWhistledown's Society Papers,9 April 1824

Spinsterhoodwas a word that tended to invoke either panic or pity, but Penelope was coes to the unmarried state

First of all, no one really expected the spinsters to dance at balls, which e of the dance floor, looking this way and that, pretending that she didn't really want to dance Now she could sit off to the side with the other spinsters and chaperones She still wanted to dance, of course--she rather liked dancing, and she was actually quite good at it, not that anyone ever noticed--but it was ot fro couples

Second, the number of hours spent in dull conversation had been drastically reduced Mrs

Featherington had officially given up hope that Penelopeher in the path of every third-tier eligible bachelor Portia had never really thought Penelope had a prayer of attracting the attention of a first-or second-tier bachelor, which was probably true, but most of the third-tier bachelors were classified as such for a reason, and sadly, that reason was often personality, or lack thereof Which, when coers, didn't tend to proain It was enerally on display at ton parties, but women on the hunt for husbands weren't supposed to exhibit anything leefully (as she bit into what had to be the most heavenly eclair outside of France), had to be the best spinster perk of allwGood heavens," she moaned If sin could take a solid form, surely it would be a pastry Preferably one with chocolatewThat good, eh?"

Penelope choked on the eclair, then coughed, sending a fine spray of pastry crea the largest of the globs had ood to see you"wAnd you"

He rocked on his heels--once, twice, thrice--then said, "You look well"wAnd you," she said, too preoccupied with trying to figure out where to set down her eclair to offer much variety to her conversationwThat's a nice dress," he said, own