@reedercat I think because her husband has been absent for so long, it's ok for her to be looking at other men bc they could just say she's planning for divorce, considering how long her husband has been away and the fact that his business has not seen any noteworthy success. She and her husband don't have a child together either so I suppose the noble society would see it as a marriage on the rocks, even if they believe he's alive.
Alternatively I'm sure having affairs is not that uncommon either. Gary already knows her husband is dead, so I guess you could think that he has no qualms just introducing her to another man, the other party may see it as an affair but Gary knows it's more like...a trial period, I guess, so if they get along well (just going on dates, I'd presume) they could drop the reveal that her husband is dead by then and just remarry.