Chapter One
‘How extremely vulgar.’ Sophia Egerton raised her ebony cane and pointed up to the large banner suspended above the upper floor of her detached Georgian house. The banner proclaimed ‘Happy 90th Birthday, Sophia’, in yellow letters on a peacock-blue background. Balloons of red, blue and yellow hung from the banner and blew in the chilly, but surprisingly light October breeze. ‘Do you think I’m in my second childhood and amused by such infantile contrivances? Get Sullivan to take it down at once!’
‘But Mother, the twins organised it specially. They thought you’d be pleased.’ Penelope’s plump face pinched a little. ‘Don’t you like it?’
‘Hmph. The twins, you say? All right, leave it, if Adam arranged it. Perhaps it’ll grow on me. Though you can still get Sullivan to take it down
