Help! I’m Alone at a Party. What Do I Do?

After a divorce from her law partner husband a decade ago, Rachel Fay found herself floundering at gatherings. “I was given a glass of wine and left to get on with it,” Fay, 59, recalls. “And I would leave parties feeling that I hadn’t met anybody. It wasn’t very much fun.”

So Fay, who lives in London, began introducing herself around and rapidly recognized her innate aptitude for social lubrication; eight years ago, she turned the skill into a full-time job. Since then, she’s eased the way at events like London’s prestigious Queen Charlotte’s Ball. Here’s her advice on how to tackle a party solo.