A biography of the charismatic Georgian society hostess Lady Anne Barnard, who became defined by her defiance of convention. Lady Anne Barnard lived at the heart of Georgian society, yet was never fully part of it. The Prince of Wales counted among many friends and she was brilliant in company. But she was seen as an eccentric - an outsider. What defined this poet and musician, artist and hostess, was defiance of convention. High-born yet an egalitarian, she rejected numerous suitors, lived independently by buying and renting houses and travelled alone to observe the French Revolution. When she did marry it was to a junior army officer, 12 years younger than she, and together they withdrew to Africa. Her curious ways attracted gossip right to her final years.