Mistress

A lot of men in higher social classes (first it was the nobility; then modern business men) had or have one or more mistresses alongside their wives. A mistress is a woman who engages in a long-lasting romance with a married or taken man (or woman). Most frequently, the relationship is kept secret.

Since Paul Dorrance in “Diagnosis” is neither a member of the royal family, nor married to another woman, Eleanor Welwood is rather his girlfriend than a highly esteemed mistress at that time. Eleanor on the other hand is married to Horace Welwood which is nothing extraordinary in the early 20^th century; Horace Welwood later allows his wife to divorce him which causes Paul Dorrance’s reputation in his society to suffer a little.[i]

[i] Cf. Fellmann, Walter (1994): Mätressen. 1. Aufl. Leipzig: LKG. p.6ff.