“I am not!” she squealed. “And Lily Parrish is just trying to get you to notice her, anyway. She’d probably say I was engaged to the cheese on the moon if she thought it would get you to pay attention to her.”

“I think Lily’s nice,” Sam said mildly. “It’s not her fault Benedict’s an ass. Are you really interested in Curtis, Maggie?”

“No! And you think everyone’s nice.”

“Lily said she saw them out walking together,” Benedict said, grinning maliciously. “A couple of Sundays back.”

“We were simply discussing the new agricultural taxation proposals,” Maggie replied, sticking her nose into the air. “He’s very well informed.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Benedict said, dodging quickly to the right to avoid a pillow. “Why are people always throwing things at me?”

“Which one’s Curtis?” Sam heard his mother say to his father.

“Hell if I know,” he said. “Which family’s Edwards?”

“Isn’t that the postmaster?”

“I thought it was the family who owned the dry goods.”

“His father’s a senator,” Benedict said, covering his quick retreat by lounging casually against the back of a chair. “Louis Edwards. Balding. Ugly, but with a pretty wife. Wanted you to support him in the last election.”

“Oh, not the one who wants to break the railroad brotherhoods,” John said with an expression of horror. “Talked to me for three hours last year about it. I thought I’d have to jump in the well to get away from him. I would have, but we were testing that new whatsit in it and I didn’t want to damage it.”

“I hope the son takes after the wife,” Winn said, equally shocked. “The father’s a horrible little toad.”

“I hope he didn’t inherit his father’s politics,” John said.

“I’m not sparking after him!” Maggie shouted. “It was one walk! And for the record, he thinks his father’s politics are quite outdated!”

“Our charming family,” Benedict murmured to Sam, a smile lurking at the corner of his mouth.

“I’ve missed this,” Sam said, unable to stop grinning. “But we’re going to have to move it along. I’m starving.” He stood up and, putting two fingers in his mouth, let out a loud whistle. “Family,” he said, “may I propose we continue this in the restaurant?”

“Always thinking of your stomach,” Benedict said, but he straightened quickly enough.

“An excellent idea,” his father said, standing as well. “Let us go at once.”

“Daddy, you’re wearing your slippers,” Maggie said. “You have to go put on proper shoes.”

“Eh? Oh, so I am.” John shuffled off towards one of the bedrooms.

“And I have to change,” Maggie continued. “I can’t go down looking like this.”

“Look here,” Sam said in concern. “If I don’t get food within the next fifteen minutes I’m likely to drop away in a dead faint.”