The invitation in Aether Hepburn's hand was exactly the same as the one the Mellon family's butler had delivered to East 49th Street. Though it was not the same letter, and perhaps not even written by the same person, it likewise bore no signature—only the words, "The Mellon Family respectfully invites you."
The banquet was not being held at Oak Spring Farm, which Henry had visited many times, but at a manor estate in the outskirts of Boston. Its ownership was unknown. Henry had not bothered to investigate; in any case, it was the sort of house ordinary people could never afford.
On the morning of the banquet, Henry flew to Boston's General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport. He rented a car at the airport, then headed to the dormitories near Wellesley College to pick up Aether Hepburn.
Since they were attending a banquet hosted by an Old Money family, Henry could not simply drive any random car. Instead, he rented a Mercedes-AM Series convertible sports car.
This car... probably counted as the bare minimum for banquet guests.
He had attended Oak Spring Farm's spring banquet before, and the guests had not deliberately pursued expensive luxury car brands. Henry had brought Ms. Catherine Hepburn in a car rented from the airport, and they had still entered without issue.
But the host of that banquet had been Mrs. Rachel Lambert Mellon, an elderly woman in her nineties. The guests had also outgrown the vulgar habit of judging people by their cars, so a car was merely transportation.
This time, however, it was a ball hosted by young people. The attendees were undoubtedly hot-blooded young men at precisely the age when they loved comparing themselves to others.
Since he was supposed to help Aether Hepburn make an impression, he could not drive