And for some reason, I almost felt like a Schlegel sister.

I was the one who heard the knocking at the door and opened it for the sister who came to comfort and collect her sibling. "Oh I am so sorry. Please come in."

Either the film or the PBS series of Howards End highlights characters who are expressly apologetic. 

Now it is also interesting to recall that the hostess spent part of her childhood in Great Britain.