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her newly acquired aunts. They never talked down to her, never excluded her, and were all amazingly competent when it came to tricky areas of homework. And they were great favorites with her father.
    They went into the drawing room and Prudence cast a swift eye over the arrangements. All seemed in place.
    “Who are our fellow guests, Prue?” Constance asked. “Anyone we don't know?”
    “Only the Contessa Della Luca and her daughter, Laura. Everyone else you know.”
    Chastity cocked her head. “They sound exotic, Prue.”
    “The contessa was a client of Gideon's.”
    “One you approved of,” Chastity put in with a hint of mischief, her habitual equanimity restored.
    “Yes, Chas,” Prudence said with an answering laugh. “A simple matter of helping her reclaim an estate. She's English, was married to an Italian count, and was recently widowed, so she decided to come back to London with her daughter. I haven't met either of them, I only know what Gideon told me. He asked me to invite them . . . to introduce them socially. I don't think he's met the daughter. Gideon, have you met Laura Della Luca?” she asked as her husband entered the room.
    “No, only her mother. She's a pleasant woman. I assume the daughter is the same.” He went to pour himself a whisky. “Can I get you all another sherry?”
    The doorbell chimed and they heard Max Ensor's voice greeting the butler with easy familiarity. Max came into the drawing room, accompanied by Sarah, who announced, “The Right Honorable Max Ensor, Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Southwold.”
    “Cheeky madam,” Max said, lightly tapping her cheek. Sarah ducked and grinned. She liked this newly acquired uncle as much as she liked her aunts.
    “May I get you a drink, Uncle Max?”
    “Whisky, please, Sarah.” He kissed his wife, then his sisters-in-law, and shook hands with his brother-in-law.
    “Busy day?” Constance asked, smiling up at him as he perched on the arm of the sofa beside her.
    “No, an indolent one,” he said, twisting one of her russet side curls around his finger. “I played billiards all afternoon.”
    “And did you win?” Constance knew her husband was as competitive as she was.
    “Need you ask?”
    She laughed. “No, of course you did.”
    The butler announced the first dinner guests and the time for intimate family chat was over.
    Chastity dutifully devoted her attention to Lord Roderick Brigham, who was to take her in to dinner. It was no particular hardship, since she'd known him for years and he had an easy, accomplished manner. They performed the obligatory steps in the social dance automatically and were exchanging pleasantries about family matters when the Contessa Della Luca and her daughter were announced.
    “Do you know them?” asked Lord Brigham in an undertone.
    “No,” Chastity said. “Do you?”
    “Only by repute. My mother met them at tea at Lady Wigan's the other day.”
    Chastity glanced up at him, hearing something left unsaid. Lord Brigham's mother was a somewhat fearsome lady but an excellent judge of character. “And?” she asked with the ease of established friendship.
    He lowered his head so that his mouth was close to her ear. “My mother found the contessa charming, but the daughter . . .” He let the sentence trail off.
    “You can't stop there,” Chastity declared in an undertone, looking covertly at the new arrivals, who were being greeted by their host and hostess.
    “A bore,” he whispered. “A priggish bore, to be exact.”
    Chastity told herself it was uncharitable to be amused by gossip, but she couldn't help a stifled chuckle. She could hear the formidable Lady Brigham pronouncing the condemnation in her elegantly articulated tones, probably with her long nose lifted in disdain.
    “We had better be introduced,” she murmured, and moved away from him towards the knot of people gathered by the fireplace.
    “Contessa, may I introduce my sister, the Honorable Chastity