"No situation is anywhere near as typical as it looks on the surface, believe me. This crowd is filled with quiet desperation, and there isn't a soul here without their secrets." He offers his arm. "Come, let's get you out of the cold."

He points out the son, who has stepped out to get some air after leaving his mother in the hands of the servants. "He'll finally have a life of his own once he gets out from under her. In fact, I know someone just perfect for the poor boy, and I've been thinking of playing Cupid." The person in question? One of the widowers, a gentleman in his forties who had only married to save his reputation.

"People are my business, you see. Understanding them, helping them sort certain issues, that sort of thing. It's quite easy to sort out basic things about most people, just from watching them. That's how I know you aren't the sort to end up a perpetually inebriated harridan in an overdone dress."