Changes

It was generally thought that Sir Florian Eustace had come to regret his marriage but he didn't live long enough for this to become a problem. After his death, his wife, Lizzie - still only in her late teens - was in possession of a very valuable diamond necklace and was determined that she would not hand it over to her husband's executors. She was adamant that Sir Florian had given it to her absolutely, although the precise circumstances of the giving varied from telling to telling. Lady Eustace was not a woman to whom truth meant a great deal. All that was important to her now, she maintained, was her son. And, of course, her diamonds.

Frank Greystock, in the meantime, had fallen in love with Lucy Morris, the governess in Lord Fawn's family home. When he makes an offer to her it's obvious that he - a struggling barrister and member of parliament - is in no position to provide a home for her. Lucy is effectively in limbo as Frank goes on with his life and even appears to continue to pay court to Lizzie Eustace although he would have justified what he was doing as assisting her in her fight for the diamonds when there was effectively no one else to help her. Not everyone was inclined to believe this and Frank does, on occasions, appear to waver.