<blockquote>If you ask how I ended up marrying Madeline Bassett, who everyone thought was straight as a ruler and the future Countess of Sidcup, it comes down to my brother Hildebrand making a jolly old fool of himself. Not unusual, of course. The poor boy has been a few sandwiches short of a picnic since he was out of short trousers, and a million times worse when he’s around Angela Travers.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. It all started when the Box Gilbert and Sullivan Society acquired a new soprano just when we were putting on Ruddigore. One look at Madeline, and it was all over for me, both for my chances of being Rose Maybud and, well, in general. I simply had no choice but to give it all up and worship at her feet, not that I'd ever tell her that.</blockquote>
