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CHAPTER ONE

Wherein the Misses Loontwill Cope with Scandal Wherein the Misses Loontwill Cope with Scandal in Their Midst

How ross hu the breakfast roo teacups and scrunching toast shril ed her sister’s less-than-dulcet tones In an unsurprising , Felicity’s voice was soon fol owed by Evylin’s

"Yes, Mu, such a scandal under our roof We real y shouldn’t be expected to put up with it any longer"

Felicity cha our chances"-- crunch, crunch--"beyond al recuperation It isn’t to be borne It real y isn’t"

Alexiaher appearance in the halto overhear more Much to her consternation, the Loontwil ’s new butler, Swilkins, ca glare that saidon her own fahts, a butler’s proprietary art forh for the fa, "you received several es yesterday" He handed Alexia two folded and sealed letters and then waited pointedly for her to precede him into the breakfast rooive them to me yesterday?"

Swilkins did not reply

Nasty bit of bother, this new butler Alexia was finding that little orse in life than existing in a state of hostility with one’s do the breakfast roohtly in her annoyance and turned her ire upon those seated before her "Good , dearest family"

As she made her way to the only eress with an air of condeht Honorable Squire Loontas entirely taken with the correct cracking of his soft-boiled egg This involved the application of an ingenious little device, rather like a handheld sideways guil otine, that nipped the tip off the egg in perfect, chipless circularity Thus happily engrossed, he did not bother to attend to the arrival of his stepdaughter

Alexia poured herself a glass of barley water and took a piece of toast fronore the smoky smel of breakfast It had once been her favorite meal; now it invariably curdled her stomach So far, the infant-inconvenience--as she’d taken to thinking of it--was proving itself far ht possible, considering it was years away from either speech or action

Mrs Loontwil looked with er selection "I shal be coe, "by the fact that our poor dear Alexia is practical y wasting away for want of her husband’s affection Such fine feelings of sentimentality" She clearly perceived Alexia’s breakfast-starvation tactics as syave her lance and inflicted minor wrath upon her toast with the butter knife Since the infant-inconvenience had added a sure, she was several stone away fro" Nor was she of a personality inclined toing In addition, she resented the fact that Lord Macconwhatsoever to do with the fact--aside from the obvious, of which her family was as yet unaware--that she was off her food

She opened her ard, but Felicity interrupted her

"Oh, Mama, I hardly think Alexia is the type to die of a broken heart"

"Nor is she the type to be gastronoed," shot back Mrs Loontwil

"I, on the other hand," interjected Evylin, helping herself to a plateful of kippers, ", please" Mrs Loontwil snapped a piece of toast in half in her distress

The youngest Miss Loontwil rounded on Alexia, pointing a forkful of egg at her accusingly "Captain Featherstonehaugh has thrown me over! How do you like that? We received a note only this h?" Alexia ed to Ivy Hisselpenny and you were engaged to soed to hi with us? Nearly teeks? Do pay attention, Alexia dear," Mrs Loontwil adhed dra I shal have to have it entirely made over"

"He did have very nice eyebrows," consoled Mrs Loontwil

"Exactly," crowed Evylin "Where wil I find another pair of eyebrows like that?

Devastated, I tel you, Alexia I am utterly devastated And it is al your fault"

Evylin, it htly ought over the loss of a fiancé, especial y one reputed to possess such heights of eyebrow pre-e into her mouth and chewed methodical y She had taken it into her head recently that chewing every bite of food twenty times over would keep her slender What it did was keep her at the dinner table longer than anyone else

"He cited philosophical differences, but we al knohy he real y broke things off"

Felicity waved a gold-edged note at Alexia--a note that clearly contained the good captain’s deepest regrets, a note that, judging from the stains about itself, had received the concerted attention of everyone at the breakfast table, including the kippers

"I agree" Alexia calmly sipped her barley water "Philosophical differences? That cannot be true You don’t actual y have a philosophy about anything, do you, Evylin dear?"

"So you admit responsibility?" Evylin was moved to s early so she could launch the attack once more She tossed her blond curls, only one or two shades re

"Certainly not I never evenyour husband like that, staying with us instead of hi" Evylin ee

"People do tend to talk I believe it is general y considered one of the better modes of communication"

"Oh, whyabout her" Evylin gave up on the sausage and went on to a second fried egg