the mothers of those debutantes appeared to either covet or avoid coming to his attention , aware as they were that the duke of royston had successfully avoided the parson 's mousetrap for a long time ; it would be a feather in any society matron 's bonnet to acquire the duke of royston as her son-in-law , but equally it could be the social ruin of her daughter if he were to offer that young lady a liaison rather than marriage .