[Joanna Lytton-Vasey]

Oh, Sister Mary, I absolutely know what you mean! Even if we were prepared to tolerate some slackness (which I am not), how are our dear husbands expected to go about their business if the home is not run like a well-oiled machine?

Mr Worthington, do you mind if I ask how your wife manages the domestic staff when you are out of the home? I used to find that I often had a sore throat by lunchtime, so have now delegated most of the shouting to one of the senior domestic staff, a Spaniard. Say what you like about Spanish women, but their harsh, unpleasant voices are ideally suited to this sort of work.