Q. Twice in one week I have been found unready for my guests. Occasion one: in the garden, finishing my lunch. A knock at the front door. Standing there, smiling expectantly, a groomed guest to play bridge at 2 p.m. The time was 1.40 p.m. Occasion two: upstairs, changing for a 2 p.m. meeting at my home. A knock at the front door. I let my two guests in, still wearing my dressing gown. The time: 1.40 p.m. Your ruling, please. Is there a too-early time for someone to arrive?
— Aggrieved hostess, Chichester
A. No one should arrive even one minute early. Regarding time-keeping, we should all take our lead from the late Duchess of Devonshire, who once revealed she and the duke were so anxious to be neither late nor early that they spent many hours per week waiting in lay-bys so they could time their arrivals with precision. It is unforgivable to arrive 20 minutes early, but equally unforgivable to keep people on the doorstep.
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