“Forgotten?” he repeated. “What’s on your mind, Vargus? It’s unlike you to be forgetful.”

That was indeed the truth, for the Earl was extremely punctilious and Richard knew that for him to forget an engagement must mean that he was deeply preoccupied.

“You must forgive me,” the Earl said quickly as if he had no wish for Richard to search for an explanation. “As a matter of fact I have not yet eaten and we can go to the Club or have luncheon here, whichever you prefer.”

“Let’s eat here,” Richard said, “because I have something extremely interesting to tell you, something that will astound you, and I want your advice as to whether I shall tell the others or keep it to ourselves.”

As he was talking, the Earl had rung the bell. The door opened and he said to the butler,

“Mr. Rowlands and I will be having luncheon here. Ask the chef to have something ready as soon as possible.”

“Very good, my Lord.”

As soon as the door closed, Richard went on excitedly,

“I will give you three guesses what I have discovered.”

“Why not just tell me?”

“You don’t seem particularly interested.”

“I am, of course I am,” the Earl answered, forcing himself to concentrate on what his friend was saying.

“Then be prepared for a surprise,” Richard said and added triumphantly. “I have discovered the identity of The Person of Quality!”

It took the Earl a second to remember what he was speaking about. Then he recalled the book that had both amused and annoyed the members of White’s the last time he had been in the Club.

“How could you do that?” he asked as he knew Richard was waiting for his reaction. “And who is it?”

“A woman,” Richard replied.

The Earl raised his eyebrows.

“That is certainly a surprise! At least the members of the Club are off the hook.”

“Some will be relieved, some merely annoyed,” Richard replied. “Sefton was screaming only yesterday when he found one maxim that he was certain referred to him and Toby considered himself insulted by another.”

“It’s obvious that they think themselves to be of more consequence than they are,” the Earl said dryly, “unless, of course, the author knows them and is deliberately putting their idiosyncrasies in print.”

“I don’t know her,” Richard said. “In fact I never heard of her until I discovered who ‘The Person of Quality’ is.”

“How did you do that?” the Earl asked, forcing himself to sound attentive.

“Everybody was making such a commotion about the book that I thought I would go along to see Hatchard and find out what he had to say. After all he published it.”

“It seems quite a simple solution to the mystery,” the Earl smiled.