Penelope’s English Experiences

A six is a six the world over—until Francesca puts it in the wrong column and turns a pint of mineral water into sixty shillings. At Smith’s Hotel, even the lemon squashes seem to wander from charge to charge.

Back in London, three American friends settle into a comfortable Mayfair hotel with a weekly bill that threatens to make them bankrupt. Penelope Hamilton, a poor artist with a sharp eye for absurdity, watches young, carefree Francesca struggle with English pounds, shillings, and pence, while practical Salemina tries to make the accounts add up. But the bill is only the start: every extra, telegram, and potted plant seems to spark a new mystery, and the hotel’s calm butler can explain away almost anything. Can the three friends ever discover what they really owe—or will London’s arithmetic defeat them first?

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