Everyone seemed to be gay and happy tonight, and Mistral, watching them, thought wistfully that it would be amusing to be with someone of her own age.

But having formed the thought, she instantly rebuked herself for being ungrateful. She was exceptionally fortunate to be in Monte Carlo at all, she told herself, and it was kind of Aunt Emilie, however irritable she might be at times, to have brought her here, to have given her so many expensive clothes, and to afford her the privilege of watching many of the most distinguished people in Europe.

Impulsively she turned to her aunt.

‘I feel I have not thanked you sufficiently, Aunt Emilie, for all you have done for me,’ she said sweetly. ‘Why, I might at this moment be still at the Convent. I should be in bed by now in the darkness, for we were not allowed to read after nine o’clock. But instead, I am here – listening to this wonderful music, watching all these exciting people! I am grateful really I am. Thank you so very, very much.’

Emilie glanced at her in what seemed to Mistral a curiously speculative manner, then she said sourly,

‘Unfortunately your gratitude does not succeed in enabling you to obey my instructions.’

Mistral’s eyes widened.

‘What instructions, Aunt Emilie? I try always to do what you tell me. Have I forgotten something?’

‘No, you have not forgotten what I have told you,’ Emilie said. ‘You are merely inept – perhaps stupid is the right word at carrying out my commands.’

Her tone was scornful and Mistral felt the blood rising in her cheeks.

‘I am sorry, Aunt Emilie, if I have failed to do something you required of me. Will you not explain what it is?’

‘You know the answer quite well,’ Emilie snapped. ‘You have two eyes and they are not blind. You can see the Prince over there. He is entertaining a party of friends. There are women in the party, but are you among them? No! Why has he not invited you?’

There was a long pause while Emilie waited for an answer, her eyes dark, her lips pursed together.

‘I – I suppose because he did not want – me,’ Mistral faltered at last.

‘Why not?’ Emilie inquired. ‘I left you alone together this afternoon while we were watching the yacht racing. I thought that you could not fail to entice him into offering us hospitality either for tonight or tomorrow. What did you talk about?’

Mistral looked down and crumbled a roll of bread between her fingers. She remembered how embarrassed she had been by her aunt’s deliberate and all too obvious manoeuvring to attract the attention of the Prince.

There had been a great many people watching the yacht racing and the Prince, whose own yacht was one of the competitors, was obviously far too interested in the races to take even a perfunctory notice of the many beautifully dressed women crowding the terrace.