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you want to know why he’s so keen to buy the property?” Aurelia asked, fetching the sherry decanter to refill their glasses. “He must have some reason…to offer all that money, and for what?” She gestured liberally at their surroundings. “Putting this place in shape will cost a small fortune.”
    â€œWell, I might as well receive him,” Livia said comfortably, holding out her glass towards Aurelia. “Just to see what a barbarian he is. Oh, and Aunt Sophia’s solicitor, Masters, the one who first wrote to me, he’s going to call as well. Some papers I have to sign apparently.”
    â€œWell, you’ll be busy,” Aurelia said. “What’ll we do, Nell?”
    â€œOh, you have to be here as well,” Livia said, sounding alarmed. “This is a joint enterprise…and particularly when it comes to the viscount.”
    â€œNell, what are you thinking?” Aurelia demanded seeing her sister-in-law’s flickering smile. “You’re up to something.”
    â€œWell, I was just thinking…”
    The arrival of Morecombe and one of the twins carrying trays prevented her finishing her thought.
    â€œThere’s potato soup,” Morecombe announced, setting his tray on a gateleg table in the bow window. “An’ bread and cheese and a bite o’ ham.” He stood aside as the twin set down her own tray of china and cutlery. “Should I pour the wine, m’lady?”
    â€œYes, please,” Cornelia answered since the question was clearly directed towards her.
    â€œThank you, Morecombe.” Livia rose from her chair and came over to the table. “You and Ada and Mavis have done wonders with so little. We’re really very grateful.”
    â€œEh, as to that Lady Livia, we do what Lady Sophia told us. Take care of the house an’ all her things. An’ that’s all…jest doin’ our duty.” He stepped to the sideboard and took up the bottle of burgundy.
    â€œCould I ask…” Aurelia said hesitantly. “Ada and Mavis are sisters, I believe.”
    â€œAye, that we are,” the present twin agreed. It was unusual for either of the twins to volunteer a comment, and Aurelia was emboldened to continue.
    â€œHave you worked here with Morecombe for long?”
    â€œEh, bless you, ma’am, Morecombe married our Ada thirty year ago,” Mavis, it was now clear that it was Mavis, declared. “An’ where our Ada goes, I go too. Always been like that.”
    â€œI see.” Aurelia smiled. “And did you marry too, Mavis?”
    The woman shook her head with an expression of disgust. “Men,” she stated. “Never could abide ’em. Dirty, messy things stompin’ their mud all over the house.” She tossed her head with something approaching a sniff and left the parlor.
    Morecombe, apparently untroubled by this wholesale condemnation of his sex, nodded to the women in a semblance of a bow and followed in Mavis’s wake.
    â€œSo, as I was saying,” Cornelia continued as the door closed, “I was thinking it might be amusing to teach our viscount a salutary lesson in manners.” She dipped her spoon in her soup.
    â€œWhat do you have in mind?”
    â€œGive him the opportunity to treat me as a servant, let him get in really deep, and then introduce him to the Viscountess Dagenham.” She smiled wickedly over the lip of her glass. “What do you think?”

Chapter 5
    I N THE MORNING ROOM OF HIS HOUSE on Mount Street, Viscount Bonham was breakfasting before the fire and contemplating his upcoming interview with Lady Livia. Apart from his rather fearsome great-aunt, the duchess of Gracechurch, his experience with elderly ladies hitherto had been confined to his grandmother and two maiden aunts. Since they had all doted upon him in his boyhood, very little effort had been required to persuade them to do anything for him. He could