Lady Caversham ate her supper brought up to her on a tray and managed, because she was so interested in Thalia’s book, to eat more than usual.

“You have been very good this evening, Mama,” Thalia said with satisfaction, “and you must not forget to tell Hannah how much you enjoyed the new way she cooked the chicken.”

“Was it chicken?” Lady Caversham asked vaguely and then said quickly, “Of course I will. Dear Hannah tries so hard to tempt my appetite. I feel so ashamed that I am never hungry.”

“Perhaps the book will bring in plenty of fancy peacock tongues.”

Lady Caversham gave a little cry of horror.

“How could they be so cruel?”

“I was only teasing, Mama,” Thalia said swiftly. “You are feeling much better this evening, but I want you to try and go to sleep and not read my book, as I know you are longing to do.”

“I would be much happier for us to read it together.”

“We will do that tomorrow,” Thalia murmured, “but now I am going to help you into bed. Then I will just read you a few extracts to make you laugh.”

By the time her mother was in bed, having laughed over some of the things Thalia had written, it was past nine o’clock.

After kissing her mother goodnight, Thalia went to her own bedroom. She told herself that, if his Lordship was expecting her to be wearing evening dress, he was going to be disappointed.

She did not possess one.

She had been fifteen when her father had left England and since then the only new gown she had had was one that she and Hannah had made together.

Recently they had found some cheap but attractive muslin in the market and there were ribbons too, not the expensive satin ones that during the War were smuggled in from France, but in pretty colours although they creased easily.

Thalia washed and changed into her latest gown simply because the rest were almost in rags.

It was a sprigged muslin with two frills on the bottom of the skirt and a frill round the neck that made her look very young.

‘If he expects someone sophisticated,’ Thalia told her reflection, ‘he should take out Lady Adelaide!’

Then she told herself that she was presuming very much on the idea that the Earl was asking her to dine with him because he thought of her as a woman.

She could not help feeling that he had a very different reason and again Thalia asked herself a little apprehensively what it could be.

As she arranged her hair, she realised that it was already twenty minutes past nine and doubtless the Earl was waiting.

‘Let him wait!’ she told herself savagely and then was afraid that he might put his threat into operation and knock loudly on the door disturbing her mother.