Mrs Meldon is entertaining her usual party for the Christmas week. The pleasure is not, however, unalloyed. The difficult Aunt Topsey is among the guests, and the easily offended Uncle Ned is expected. The couple detest each other. Moreover, Mrs Meldon’s daughters are not on the best of terms. Olivia, the elder, is strongly attracting Tony Martley, a young artist, who has generally been regarded as her sister Ann’s future fiancé...

Mrs Meldon is entertaining her usual party for the Christmas week. The pleasure is not, however, unalloyed. The difficult Aunt Topsey is among the guests, and the easily offended Uncle Ned is expected. The couple detest each other. Moreover, Mrs Meldon’s daughters are not on the best of terms. Olivia, the elder, is strongly attracting Tony Martley, a young artist, who has generally been regarded as her sister Ann’s future fiancé...