"Miss Alexia Minton, M'Lord!" A girl came into the room slowly. "You are the Marquis of Osminton?" she asked in a soft, quiet voice.

"I am," the Marquis replied.

"I thought," Alexia continued, "you might be able to help me. As I now have my family to look after, I felt it incumbent upon me to bring my sister to London." The Marquis was listening but made no comment.

"She is so beautiful," Alexia went on, "I felt it would be wrong to keep her in the country. Would you like to see her?" Without waiting for permission, Alexia sprang to her feet. She came back in the room moments later, drawing her sister by the hand. Alexia, the Marquis realized immediately, had not exaggerated. Her sister was an English beauty such as had been extolled in poetry and prose since the beginning of time.

"I am sure," the Marquis said finally, "your sister will take London by storm."