Dear Mary: How can we set up our single friends in lockdown?

Q. My husband and I have two single friends who we believe should be introduced. In days gone by, we would have held a dinner or drinks party in order to do so. But with all the lockdowns, it is proving hard to get them in the same room. To make matters more difficult, they are both conscientious types and have moved to their respective family homes in the countryside to offer support to their parents. How should we introduce them? A Zoom call seems so unromantic.
— Name and address withheld

A. Much better to ambush the couple by inviting them to attend Zoom drinks to celebrate some confected achievement of your own — e.g. ‘I’ve finally done my tax return.’ By directing the focus of attention on to your own mini-triumph, neither singleton will feel self-conscious or that their attractiveness is being judged, yet they can quietly observe each other.