wealthy widows were always a point of gossip. the younger and prettier they were, the fewer the children, the more likely tongues were to wag. and this present lady was no exception... dwight himself was not above a curious glance her way when she entered the drawing room. it was rare enough that he - a penniless doctor with vanishingly few wealthy patients - was invited to any gathering of the local elite. as such, he could not then pretend to be wholly indifferent to the intrigues that such an evening promised...
he offered a polite nod in greeting when their hostess made an introduction. " i shall take the fact that we've not yet had occasion to meet as a blessing. " often enough he first met his neighbors when called to attend some ill or another. " being new to the district myself, i confess i much prefer this method of forming an acquaintance, " he added with a smile.
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