The Age of Innocence Book 1 Chapter 02

In which Newland Archer finds himself unsettled by the unexpected public appearance of his fiancée’s unconventional cousin at the opera, a delicate breach of society’s fastidious codes that sets tongues wagging and compels him to assert his forthcoming engagement. Amid whispered judgements and the august presence of the formidable Mrs. Mingott, the young man navigates the subtle tensions of familial loyalty, propriety, and personal conviction with a mixture of admiration and constraint.