Ten women between 22 and 24, and the manner that goes with it

Twenty two

Jasmin, petite and 160 cm, chestnut haired, puts the question the rest of the table has been avoiding. Luna, curvy and 171 cm, wears a dark auburn red, is entirely self assured and is a good deal harder to impress than her manner suggests. Stacy, slim and 176 cm, has near black hair and reaches her verdict on the second act well before the curtain call.

Their evenings are as different as their colouring. Jasmin's begins at a lecture on Albemarle Street, Luna's at a bar seat in Mayfair from eight, and Stacy's in the stalls of the theatre on Sloane Square.

Twenty three

Bianka, curvy and 165 cm, light brown and hazel eyed, will remember what you said an hour ago and come back to it. Lea, petite and 161 cm, wears auburn, gentle through the first hour and sharper in the second. Roxi, curvy and 168 cm, wears her black hair loose, speaks economically and laughs quickly.

Bianka hosts in Knightsbridge and likes a day's notice to hold the counter seats; Lea rarely leaves Belgravia; and Roxi's evening is one drink in a small bar by Green Park, followed by the lit paths through it.

Twenty four

Angelika, athletic and 172 cm, black haired, is composed in a way that slows a whole room down. Lucy, slender and 163 cm, has dark curls and an unhurried way of looking at things. Molly, curvy and 164 cm, is the warmest company in the circle. Tiffany, finely built and 169 cm, chocolate brown, is softly spoken and entirely attentive.

Angelika keeps to Mayfair and an early table. Lucy and Tiffany both keep to SW1, Lucy for a gallery at five and Tiffany for a long, precise dinner near the park. Molly starts on Dover Street with a coffee at six and lets the evening decide itself from there.

What the ten share, and what they do not

Each of them has a subject she will talk about properly: science for Jasmin, music for Luna, theatre for Stacy, old houses for Lea, pictures for Lucy, spices for Tiffany, the plate in front of her for Molly, buildings for Angelika. What separates them is pace. Luna, Stacy and Jasmin are quick; Angelika, Lucy and Tiffany are slow and attentive; Bianka, Lea, Molly and Roxi sit somewhere between.

Choosing among them

For an evening with something to argue about afterwards, one of the three at twenty two. For warmth, Molly or Bianka. For a quiet evening with a great deal of attention in it, Lucy or Tiffany. For composure, Angelika; for one very good drink, Roxi; for a small room and a sharp second hour, Lea. Jasmin's evenings turn on whatever is being given that week, so offer Delphine two or three dates for her.

The other two bands

The late twenties is the largest presentation here and the thirties the smallest. Every page in the Salon prints the age alongside the rest of the facts, and booking is where a date goes.