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was only too afraid that when she had gained her qualifications, she would instantly become more active in support of this franchise business. Louisa had been a tomboy and could throw a cricket ball with the best of them. Hurling a stone through Swan & Edgar’s window wasn’t that much different, after all. He sighed. Out of all his seven children, he had a special bond with Louisa, which was why she worried him most – even he, easy-going, eternal optimist that he was.
    â€œI would have thought, Louisa,” Margaret ventured, “that you’d seen enough of fighting for causes to know what damage can ensue.

    Gus threw her an affectionately exasperated glance. Margaret had no tact, though she was good as gold. When his dear Ellen had died in late childbirth this eldest daughter of his had selflessly assumed her mother’s role, thereby missing her chances of marriage. She appeared quite content to remain here, seemingly forever, satisfied to be nothing more than a homemaker in the same tradition as her dead mother. Her self-effacement had not rubbed off on to Alice; the baby she’d brought up had become a blithe and confident child, though she, too, lacked Louisa’s vehemence. Louisa, of course, had enough of that for all three.
    â€œOh, I don’t forget that, Margaret,” she was saying now, “how could I? My one and only adventure.”
    â€œNo doubt there will be others.”
    Louisa threw her a quick glance, but her sister’s profile remained as serene as ever, her eyes innocent of guile. Sometimes, Louisa wanted to shake her composure with true stories of what had really happened to her during that legendary escapade but mostly, she wanted nothing more than to forget it. She was sick and tired of having to remember, and to recount for people’s entertainment tales of what had happened to her when she was still a child. It was not, and never had been, in her opinion, a subject for entertainment – in fact, the whole episode, despite its heroism, had been so much talked about that it was in danger of becoming a tremendous bore. Over and done with, it should be relegated to the past, where it belonged. As far as she was concerned, the best thing to come out of that experience was that it had decided her future. From that time on, she had known that the only thing she wanted to do was to study medicine and become a lady doctor – regardless of the fact that the title was still regarded as being a contradiction in terms by many people.
    Margaret’s voice broke into her thoughts. “What a pity Sebastian couldn’t spare the time to have tea with us,” she murmured, accepting her father’s cup for another refill.
    â€œI asked him, but he wanted to get home.”
    â€œOnly natural, I suppose – I scarcely remember the last time he was at Belmonde.”
    â€œSince he only gets a lecture from his father every time he does come down, one can scarcely blame him for that.”

    There was a short silence, and Gus added pacifically, “Sir Henry’s naturally hoping for a great deal from Sebastian now. He suffered a hard blow in losing Harry.”
    â€œSo have they all suffered, Papa,” Louisa said sharply, trying to banish from her mind the worry she’d had quite often lately, that one of these days Sir Henry’s patent disapproval might cause Sebastian to do something quite stupid and irrational, which he would certainly later regret.
    â€œQuite so,” Gus agreed, as neutrally as he was able. To lose a son so young – and one so attractive, so full of life and charm and promise as Harry had been – and still to be alive oneself …the old left behind, the young taken …Gus had seen this many times in the course of his working life, and had never come to terms with the sadness of it. He did not like Sir Henry – or not very much – but he could sympathise with the views of a man in his