"Nonsense. It would be perfect. Besides, look, he just spilled punch on Fiona's dress."

Miranda grinned.

"Come with me," Olivia said, taking her hand. "I want to open my gifts. I promise I'll squeal the loudest when I get to yours."

The two girls walked back into the room, and Olivia and Winston opened their gifts. Mercifully (in Lady Rudland's opinion), they finished at four o'clock on the button, which was the time that the children were meant to go home. Not a single child was picked up by servants; an invitation to Haverbreaks was considered quite an honor, and none of the parents wanted to miss the opportunity to hobnob with the earl and countess. None of the parents besides Miranda's, that was. At five o'clock, she was still in the sitting room, assessing the birthday booty with Olivia.

"I can't imagine what has happened to your parents, Miranda," Lady Rudland said.

"Oh, I can," Miranda replied cheerfully. "Mama's gone to Scotland to visit her mama, and I'm sure Papa has forgotten about me. He often does, you know, when he's working on a manuscript. He translates from the Greek."

"I know." Lady Rudland smiled.

"Ancient Greek."

"I know," Lady Rudland said on a sigh. This was not the first time Sir Rupert Cheever had misplaced his daughter. "Well, you shall have to get home somehow."

"I'll go with her," Olivia suggested.

"You and Winston need to put away your new toys and write thank-you notes. If you don't do it tonight, you shan't remember who gave you what."

"But you can't send Miranda home with a servant. She'll have no one to talk to."

"I can talk to the servant," Miranda said. "I always talk to the ones at home."

"Not ours," Olivia whispered. "They're starched and silent and they always look at me disapprovingly."

"Most of the time you deserve to be looked at disapprovingly," Lady Rudland interjected, giving her daughter a loving pat on the head. "I have a treat for you, Miranda. Why don't we have Nigel bring you home?"