She had first met him two years before, when he was Viscount Elster; had liked him then.

Their relationship sanctioned their being now much together, and the Lady Maude lost her heart to him.
Would it bring forth fruit, this scheming of the countess-dowager's, and Maude's own love?
In her wildest hopes the old woman never dreamed of what that fruit would be; or, unscrupulous as she was by habit, unfeeling by nature, she might have carried away Maude from Hartledon within the hour of their arrival.
Of the three parties more immediately concerned, the only innocent one--innocent of any intentions--was Lord Hartledon.

He liked Maude very well as a cousin, but otherwise he did not care for her.

They might succeed--at least, had circumstances gone on well, they might have succeeded--in winning him at last; but it would not have been from love.
His present feeling towards Maude was one of indifference; and of marriage at all he had not begun to think.
Val Elster, on the contrary, regarded Maude with warm admiration.

Her beauty had charms for him, and he had been oftener at her side but for the watchful countess-dowager.