Upon seeing this situation, everyone began to have second thoughts. If Miss Evans could invite Willie Novak to attend the banquet and they, in turn, refused, they would undoubtedly offend Willie. However, if they went, they would offend Madam Hughes. They should have found an excuse not to come if they had known this earlier.
In the latter half of the banquet, everyone felt like they were sitting on pins and needles. However, it was very lively in the Husa Hotel across the way. Hugh Winslet's arrival surprised the audience, but Xaviera Evans seemed to have expected it.
The craze stirred up by Hugh Winslet hadn't yet subsided when someone reported that Samuel Armstrong had arrived. Samuel Armstrong was the heir of the Armstrong family, which meant that two of the four major families had already arrived, with only the Novak family remaining.
Willie Novak arrived shortly after, leaving everyone present in awe.
