What Maisie Knew Chapter 18

In which Maisie, accompanied by Mrs. Beale, experiences a mixture of disappointment and intrigue at the Exhibition, encountering a fresh figure who stirs whispered judgments and vague suspicions amongst the adults. Later, in the unexpected shelter of her father's company and a bright, richly appointed drawing-room, she senses a shift towards a tender yet hesitant intimacy that hints at unspoken designs and delicate new relations.