"My dear you are simply too kind!" Harriet exclaimed sweetly with the sort of self-deprecating smile that implied the compliments should absolutely keep on coming and that no kindness was too much. She doubted she would be disappointed either - Miss Fawley was delightful and had an eagerness to please that Harriet could practically feel radiating from her. Unmarried, getting older every day, beautiful and without too many siblings to share her father's money with: Miss Fawley was a gift from the god's as far as Harriet was concerned.

"I should hate to keep you from your friends," Harriet glanced over towards where a gaggle of young ladies were laughing away cattily, having been moved as far into the corner of the club as the steward could manage so they didn't disturb the rest of the clientele. They were boisterous and barely out of school, ostentatiously dressed and clearly unaccompanied by anyone with sense. They were also, she would bet her jewellery box on, not Miss Fawley's friends, but it was worth making the gesture after she had hailed the younger woman over to her table.

"But my sister is running behind schedule, as usual, and I'd be very grateful for the company."

Harriet’s smile grew as the young woman acquiesced so humbly, bringing her flawless complexion and sweet nature that little bit closer to Harriet’s table. It was a terribly tiring business finding appropriate prospects for her sons but she felt a warm sense of possibility with Miss Fawley and practically glowed with triumph of finding somebody who would require no polishing – honestly she was practically aflutter herself!

“Well my dear regrets certainly aren’t for the likes of us so do sit down,” she invited again, knowing this time Miss Fawley would take the seat offered. It was so very thrilling to find a fully-faceted diamond just waiting to dazzle that Harriet allowed herself a small smile, tapping the coin in her pocket inconspicuously to let Hermione know to take her time. “Are you looking forward to the new season?”

Was it her fifth? Sixth? Harriet was quite sure the young lady had been on the scene for a little while now but it was far from a detrimental state – in fact Harriet was rather giddy at the thought of a debutante honed to such perfection!

“Hmmm,” Harriet purred in agreement, taking a sip of her tea as she mentally added Miss Fawley to the guest list for a future dinner party and considered which of her sons it would be best to sit her next to. Frederick was out of the question so really it came down to whether Miss Fawley was more suited to life as a mother or as…well, one didn’t wish to be unkind about Fitz but Harriet had long suspected that the woman he needed ought to be forthright enough to whip him into shape in terms of respectability so either way it required a degree of backbone.

“Of course new relationships never hurt, I always found that expanding one’s social circle was the only way to find variety – after all, life would be fearfully dull if we only ever spoke to the same people,” she said smoothly, wilfully ignoring the fact that the vast majority of their kind never ventured much beyond the extension of their own families for company, let alone to horizons unknown. But her sons were different beasts: one reliable, structured, already a fixture and the other a freer spirit with a charmingly eclectic group of friends. “Do you agree?” Her smile reached her eyes as she leaned towards the younger woman. “Please feel free not to Miss Fawley, my sister disagrees with me frequently and we have always remained friends.”