Joan Combton-Maxwell was very fashion conscious. In fact, she was the doyen of fashion for the English Upper Class. Unfortunately something terrible was happening down in the yucky portion of town. There was a bubonic plague going on. It was, after all, 1350AD and all that.
Norbert was a neighbour. He was a crank, an inventor, a scientist. He was way ahead of his time. He knew the culprits for spreading the plague were flea-infested rats. He offered to fumigate Joan’s house and destroy the rats and fleas.
Joan consented, if only to protect her eleven children.
“But,” said Norbert, “we must burn all your clothes and start anew. It’s the best way to safeguard against fleas.”
Joan agreed, although she secretly kept her favourite fashionable dress.
It takes only one flea. Joan and her eleven children are buried in a beautiful marble-carved crypt in the local church.