Miss Manners: It was because the guests were early that my husband got injured

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We hosted an event at our home where a couple arrived 45 minutes before the time on the invitation.

We were still getting ready, and we had not yet sequestered our rambunctious dogs, as we generally do when we are entertaining.

My husband attempted to hold onto the dogs so they wouldn’t jump on the guests. In the melee, he sustained a bad fall. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt beyond a mild cut and a bump on his head, but it was a scary moment.

I was upset and did make a rather curt comment to the guests that they should not have arrived so early without letting us know.

Isn’t this as rude as arriving late? What is one supposed to say or do when guests arrive before the host and hostess are ready to receive them?

GENTLE READER: One is supposed to say how happy you are to see them; one is supposed to do whatever is necessary to finish party preparation — which, Miss Manners is aware, will demonstrate the inconvenience caused without your having to be rude.

The gladiatorial battle with the dogs — and the subsequent fall — accomplished the latter, if only you could have held up your end by doing the former.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I seem to have different points of view about how tidy the house should be when visitors are expected to arrive, and, to that end, how soon he should inform me if someone’s planning to stop by.

For example, we planned a trip over the holidays, and he did not share with me until the evening before we left that his daughter and her new girlfriend were going to stop by while we were away to check in on the house and my mother-in-law (who lives with us). I ended up cleaning the house the best I could until late that night, to make sure that the house presented well to our guests in our absence.