Relieved? Not particularly, but Tatiana could tell that this was the response he was looking for.

"Oh, of course!" she answered brightly. "It can be so easy to feel restrained in the winter months, don't you find? The spring time gives one renewed opportunities to return out of doors—gardening, badminton, archery, even walks or picnics with desirable company."

Her eyes lingered on his own at the mention of desirable company before casting about the room once more as if to suggest she hadn't truly been looking at him at all. It was a delicate game, flirtation, and one had to toe the line carefully. To be too available was worse even than being not available enough, though both would lead to the same result: spinsterdom.