Chapters 16, 17 and 18 Summary

In Chapter 16, during the next few days or the second week of the four, Mellersh becomes more friendly and more intimate with his wife, grateful for the opportunity she has brought him. He also continues to cultivate relationships with the three other women, always keeping in mind their value as potential clients. Meanwhile, Mrs. Arbuthnot repeatedly considers writing Frederick and not only letting him know where she is, but also inviting him to stay, hoping that their relationship will transform in the way that the Wilkins' relationship seems to have done. For her part, Lady Caroline simply enjoys Mr. Wilkins' attentions, her thoughts leading her to believe that she is not as tawdry as she at first believed herself to be. At the same time, Mrs. Fisher, becomes more and more restless, convinced that she is about to open up into...