Lady Banks purred and preened, while Cassandra’s mind boggled at all this intelligence. Again, Fanny had given the impression of a young couple taking sudden leave of their senses and Mary, in particular, acting quite out of character. Either the Knatchbulls did not know the half, or those letters were not worth the paper they were written on.

In contrast to the visitor, Cassandra held no power whatsoever and had long ago learned that any criticism from her would only be heard if it came dressed as a compliment. ‘Then, Lady Banks, allow me to commend you for your courageous position. It cannot have been easy for – as with so many others – are you not also famously close to Sir Edward?’

‘Quite so!’ Lady Banks exclaimed, as if her position brought with it no moral conflict. ‘Since the moment he lost his own mother, back in his boyhood, I have devoted myself to his welfare and, even as a man, he has had the good fortune to live much under my influence.’

‘Ah,’ said Cassandra. ‘I see.’

She spoke with a great sense of meaning, which Lady Banks quite misunderstood.

‘But I did not begrudge it!’ she cried. ‘We aunts, Miss Austen, must never shy at our duties! My reward has been to watch his continued success. And in his first wife – Mary’s dear late mama – I had a fine ally. Oh, she was a fine person, whose skill for controlling his extremes of emotion equalled even my own. We agreed on most everything. But since the arrival of the other …’ Suddenly mindful of the company, she let the thought trail away.

‘So I did try at the time to convince him to accept the excellent offer from this most estimable gentleman.’ Though she had no real lashes to speak of, she batted the few stubs that remained towards Ned.

In that moment, Cassandra saw that she had once been a beautiful woman, sure of her powers, and had yet to catch up with the fact that she now was very much not.

‘But would he heed me? R-r-really,’ Lady Banks declared, with some considerable pomp, ‘he can be so pompous.’

‘Although, of course, a father must do his duty as he thinks fit,’ Cassandra mused. ‘And the law as it currently stands puts its trust in his opinion over the—’

‘But this father is mistaken!’ Lady Banks seemed to erupt. It was almost as if the unfortunate temperament was a family condition. ‘And I took the opinion – based on my own sound judgement and the wisdom of years – that it was high time someone taught him a lesson!’ Her voice was a roar. ‘Only when faced with a fait accompli could one such as Sir Edward be made to accept that he has committed an injustice.’ She brought the flat of her hand down on the table.