midnight
He had been educated at Eton and Oxford , served for some time in the Fourth Lifeguards , been unpaid attaché at St. Petersburg , was patron of five livings , and sat in the House of Lords as Baron Bracondale ; creation , 1505 ; seat , Bracondale Chase . Brothers , none . Sister living , Anne Charlotte , married to the fourth Earl of Anningford . Theodora read all this over twice , and also even the predecessors and collateral branches -- but that was while she burned the midnight oil and listened to the snorts and coughs of Josiah Brown , slumbering next door . For the time being she raised her eyes and looked into Lord Bracondale 's , and something told her they were the nicest eyes she had ever seen in this world . Then when a voluble French count had rushed up , with garrulous apologies for being late , the party was complete , and they swept into the restaurant . Theodora sat between the Western millionaire and the Russian Prince , but beyond -- it was a round table , only just big enough to hold them -- came her hostess and Lord Bracondale , and two or three times at dinner they spoke , and very often she felt his eyes fixed upon her .