Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time marches into the summer of Nick Jenkins's life with volume 4 in the series - At Lady Molly's.

Nick becomes engaged but relays this information almost as an afterthought as he continues to focus attention on other characters.

The Tolland family figures heavily in this book, as numerous siblings, in-laws, and others pop in and out of the story. It is a large family with some eccentric characters - most especially the patriarch Erridge, who rejects society's expectations and decides to live among the proletariat in order to understand their struggles.

Widmerpool again figures heavily in this story as we learn of his engagement to a much older woman.

Weaved throughout is the story of Mona - a relatively minor character who establishes relationships with major characters, then leaves each for another. She seems to represent the impermanence of the current life of everyone in this intra-war England.

The outside world invades the bohemian and upper-class dinner parties more in  this book than in previous ones as the characters discuss the likelihood of war with Germany and Marxist Quiggin associates with Erridge.

The characters still intrigue me and, with a third of the story behind me, I am committed to continuing this series.