Her Great Escape

Irene had been wondering for a long time whether or not Rose would actually catch Henry. 

At first, the red-haired woman was irritated that someone so scantily clad was going after the man she had been pining for, but, as Irene sat and watched, she couldn't help finding amusement in Rose's pathetic attempts to get Henry's attention. She seemed to only do it when he was trying to talk to someone far more important than she was. 

Henry hadn't been in the north for long enough to know that they called Rose 'the chaser' because of her tendency to chase anyone who had deep enough pockets to suit her tastes. It had been a common theme even when they were kids. She had even tried to seduce men decades older than her even before debuting in high society as an adult. 

Irene couldn't stand her and, knowing what she knew about Henry, she knew that he would probably be feeling much the same.