Ned swung into the breakfast room. ‘The complete Richard the Third, I would say.’ He ruffled Brook’s hair as he passed, before swooping down on a vast dish of ham.

‘Truly?’ Little Brook looked around, eyes alight: he was always quite desperate for any confirmation. ‘Was he one of the good ones?’

‘Marianne!’ called Ned over the ensuing uproar. ‘Care to remove this boy from his school at the earliest opportunity!’ He drew up a chair and flicked back his jacket. ‘It is somehow contriving to make him more stupid rather than less.’

All eleven of the Knight siblings reunited – was there a happier sight? Fanny looked around the table. Everyone, as ever, roaring with laughter at some joke of Ned’s, apart from Marianne, that is, who was fiddling with her curls and looking down at her plate. Perhaps she was simply tired, for which Fanny could hardly blame her. The Christmas season was exhausting for the woman in charge, especially when one was new to it.

Whatever it was, Fanny refused to worry herself. This was the most cheerful of mornings, after the most splendid Twelfth Night before. Sir Edward was out taking his constitutional; their papa was down at the farm. The Knights had always been happiest in their own company. This was like the old days: just them.

‘By the way.’ Ned reached for a muffin, tossed and then caught it. ‘Who is that waiting out in the hall? Sight for sore eyes, I must say. Rather a beauty. Thought of stopping for a quick flirt, until it suddenly occurred she might be someone’s fiancée.’ He practised a slow, overarm gesture. ‘William?’ He did a dummy throw. ‘Have you proposed at all lately?’ He then tossed the bun across the table. ‘Would hate to get in your way, old boy.’

George leaped out of his seat and caught it. ‘The Ashford Ball was quite the riot.’ He took a hearty bite. ‘It’s perfectly possible our Will did get himself wed and has clean forgot.’

‘Really, boys!’ In just ten short weeks, Fanny had become so used to the quiet life, the Godmersham breakfast room was giving her a headache. ‘I had forgotten how rowdy you get sometimes. Pipe down a little, I beg you.’ More baked goods now flew through the air. ‘Sir Edward will be joining us soon.’

The very mention was enough to bring silence to the table. Out of the corner of her eye, Fanny spied brothers exchanging glances and biting their lips. Ned’s shoulders were shaking. Possibly for the first time in her life, she wondered if they might be somewhat childish, and if it was not high time they grew up.