Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are
no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his
siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has
a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age
somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.
Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen
years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright
Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she
is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of
globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.
But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild
creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the
estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner?
Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and
socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And
what on earth is a schottische?