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the young man’s carelessness was largely responsible for the tragedy. He’d been far more interested in his young companion, which Edward did not wonder at, since she had an unusual and striking beauty about her.
    ‘Edward, I really do not think you appreciate how much effort we have put into preparing for this ball.’
    ‘That girl...’ he managed.
    ‘Never mind the dratted girl, I’m talking about our own darling Selene!’
    There was a furious rustle of skirts from the window-seat where Selene had slumped, to gaze morosely out upon the ruin of her dreams.
    ‘Did you see the surprise in that girl’s eyes as her half of the boat sank?’ she said now with peevish satisfaction. ‘I swear it was the funniest thing I ever…’
    ‘ Selene !’ Much as he might love his family and make allowances for them, even Edward’s patience had its limits. ‘Have you no sense of decency, girl? No taste?’
    ‘Don’t turn on your daughter simply because some careless young man has scraped our new yacht and damaged not only our best tea service but probably our place in society. We are ruined. ’
    As Margot defiantly lifted her plump chin, she caught Edward’s ferocious gaze. She had never been a woman to resort to sal volatile and didn’t intend to start now. Even so, there were times when a little assumed weakness could pay dividends, so she lowered her head and sniffed dramatically into her lavender-scented handkerchief. ‘I grieve for the young man’s poor mother, of course, Edward, but refute the charge that we are to blame for the accident.’
    ‘We must bear some of the responsibility. We were the other party involved.’
    ‘The innocent party.’
    ‘How can you say so, until there’s been an enquiry?’
    ‘There’ll be no enquiry, you silly man. Who would dare? Damn you, Edward, I believe you wish to make me ill.’
    There was a long and dreadful silence in which nothing could be heard but the doleful ticking of the grandfather clock. Then the door opened, very slowly, as if whoever entered had waited an age for this very silence to give her leave. Betty Cotley, their youngest and newest maid, crept in with a huge silver tray, crossing the room as if it were a desert and she longed only to drop her load and scurry back to the sanctuary whence she’d emerged.
    ‘Shall I pour, ma’am?’
    ‘No. Leave it. A cup of tea is the last thing I need. That isn’t going to solve anything.’
    ‘Very good, ma’am.’ But when she was about to take the tray away again, Margot slapped at her hand and the maid did indeed scurry away.
    ‘We’ll have to attend the funeral, of course,’ Edward said into the yawning silence.
    ‘Indeed we won’t.’
    ‘It’d be the proper gesture. In the circumstances.’
    Margot, for once, poured her own tea, hoping it would soothe her nerves. ‘They’ll say it proves our guilt. That we are admitting blame.’
    ‘Balderdash! We must send a wreath and a card. Show due respect to an innocent young man.’
    ‘That innocent young man, as you call him, was alone in that boat with a young woman. Some hussy or other. And no doubt they’d been drinking.’ She handed her husband a cup.
    Edward sighed. ‘It was barely ten o’clock in the morning, Margot. How on earth could you conclude that they had been drinking?’
    ‘Why else would he be cavorting about if he wasn’t drunk? He’d have seen us otherwise. It’s not as though we are small. The Faith is the largest steam yacht on the lake.’
    ‘Apart from Mrs Linden’s,’ Selene reminded her.
    ‘Very well, yes, apart from hers.’ Irritated by her daughter’s untimely reminder, Margot’s temper flared hot and acid. ‘I’ll not be told what to do by a clutch of stupid peasants who spend their time drinking and forn--’ She stopped, rouged cheeks shot crimson with horror at the crudity she’d been about to utter.
    For a second she’d forgotten that she was no longer Maggie Read, only daughter of a humble tailor, but the