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During the house party, each of the girls would be looking to make the most important decision of her life – who to marry. The survival of any children and even her own life expectancy could be directly related to the wealth of her spouse. To help her play such a game, a chaperone would be expected to provide expert tutorage and act as both guide and guardian.
It was the chaperone's responsibility to ensure that her charge was happy, and that both herself and her charge were the perfect house guests and not in the least incommodious to the host. However it was also in her interests to see that any other women who might get in the way of her plans were banished from the house, and so back-stabbing and scheming were not uncommon.
If a chaperone's charge married well (to a man of equal or higher status and income) the chaperone either through contract (as in the case of Lady Devonport and Miss Hopkins) or relation, would stand to make a lot more money. It was therefore in her interest to ensure that her charge married well.
A chaperone's charge would only have one or two 'seasons' during which time she must secure an engagement if she was to avoid becoming left on the shelf as an old maid, and so a chaperone would be acutely aware throughout, that time was running out...
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