Once Matthew had scraped off the accumulated grime and was once more fit to be seen in company, he and George indulged in the rather more sedate pleasures of a game of bridge with Matthew’s mother and sister.
“We’ll be having an early supper, as we have some people coming round for drinks later on,” Mrs. Connaught announced as she dealt. “Just friends from the village, and one or two of them will be bringing guests, I should think. Quite an informal affair.”
“Oh. Right-oh,” George said, doing his best to look as though he’d welcome the company. Was he never to get Matthew to himself?
“We used to have them over in the afternoon,” Matthew explained, taking up his cards and making an exaggerated expression of dismay at the hand he’d been dealt. “But the trouble was, some of them tended to
