Robert was pleased to hear that Cambridge wasn't as much fun without him. God forbid Harry would actually develop a life of his own. But he grimaced when the young man brought up the scene at the station. He grimaced. "One moment." He waved a bartender over and ordered a beer. Then he turned back to his friend.

"Our family has been infiltrated by sly little a working class rat. He's seduced my poor sister Pearl, who has been in a delicate state of mind for some time, and has struck when my father was overcome with grief - or guilt, or whatever. He has turned my father against his own family. He's gotten my father to cut us out of his will and hand everything to Pearl and him, which of course means him, for she is a mere pawn in this. This is only the beginning, Hardcastle. First the vote. Then we thought them to read and write for themselves. And now they think they can take what doesn't belong to them. In the good old days he'd be horsewhipped for even talking to my sister."