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and had time only to admire the exquisite taste of their hostess before she sailed into the room, her arms outstretched to welcome them.
    Twenty years earlier, when the beautiful Cunningham sisters had arrived in London to take the ton by storm, there had been little to choose between them, either in looks or in spirit. Letitia, two years the elder at nineteen, was perhaps a little more dashing. Fanny had by far the sweeter nature. It was pretty generally agreed that they were the loveliest debutantes of the season by far. They were by no means heiresses, but their portions were respectable and therefore no one was the least surprised when Letitia gratified her well-wishers by becoming betrothed to the eminently suitable Lord Northwood. This gentleman, now unfortunately deceased, had doted upon his young bride and would no doubt have been happy to give her sister Fanny a home indefinitely had not she astounded the polite world by refusing the advances of a duke in order to elope with an impecunious young scholar. How or where she had met this young man was never discovered; but as they were married before her shocked relatives had discovered them, and as Mr Wrexham was of an old and unexceptionable family, she was not utterly cast off.
    Intercourse between the two families had been discouraged but the sisters had kept up an affectionate, if infrequent, correspondence, and Lady Northwood had several times visited her sister while staying with the Devonshires at Chatsworth.
    Both ladies were very much affected by their reunion. Mrs Wrexham shed tears as she clasped her sister to her and Lady Northwood could not be dry-eyed.
    ‘Dearest, dearest Fanny!’ she cried, smiling through her tears. ‘How happy this makes me! Now you must take off your bonnets and tell me all your news.’ Releasing Mrs Wrexham, she proceeded to embrace her niece affectionately and then held her at arms' length, surveying her with the eye of an expert. ‘Very well, my dear, very well indeed. You are improved out of all recognition. Such a dreadful tomboy you were when last I saw you. All arms and legs. I declare, it will be a positive pleasure to take you about for you will do me so much credit!’
    Charlotte smiled and kissed her Aunt's scented cheek. She had not seen Lady Northwood in several years and she was relieved to find that her aunt was just as kind and warm-hearted as she remembered.
    Recovering from the first joy of welcome, Lady Northwood scolded herself for keeping her visitors standing in such a thoughtless way and quickly bustled them upstairs to their respective chambers. She left Charlotte with strict instructions to lie down upon her bed and rest, which advice Charlotte , who was sadly fatigued, was only too happy to follow. An abigail was waiting to attend her and she was very soon divested of her soiled travelling garments and wrapped in a pretty dressing gown. She fell asleep, marvelling at the luxury of the room and the very real comfort to be derived from a huge coal fire in the bedchamber, an extravagance unknown in her former home.
    Meanwhile, Lady Northwood and Mrs Wrexham were indulging in a long and comfortable gossip. The elder lady told her sister how impressed she was with Charlotte and Mrs Wrexham preened herself as she drank in this praise of her beloved daughter.
    ‘I have seldom seen such a beautiful girl, Fanny, and I have seen the pick of the debutantes for the last twenty years. To be sure, it is unfortunate that she has no portion, but with looks like hers I cannot think that it will prove a serious drawback.’
    ‘I hope you are right, my love, for I tell you quite frankly, that every penny I have has gone upon Charlotte's back, and although I should never want her to marry for purely mercenary reasons, I do not know what is to become of us if we are unsuccessful.’
    Lady Northwood looked a little conscious. She was a kind-hearted woman and she would have liked to offer her sister assistance. However, the