‘Don’t worry about it,’ the Prince said. ‘I will speak to Monsieur Gutier, the Chef de la Sûreté, who is an old friend of mine. If the Rajah dares to be tiresome to you or to anyone else, he will be told to leave the Principality and not to come back. Monsieur Gutier will drop him a hint in the meantime. They have very clever ways of dealing with people of the Rajah’s type here. In consequence we have but few scandals.’

‘Thank you,’ Mistral said. ‘It is kind of Your Serene Highness to take so much trouble.’

‘It is no trouble and I am very glad you have told me of this,’ the Prince replied. ‘You are not to worry any more about it. Promise me?’

‘I promise.’

They smiled at each other and the Prince said,

‘When are you leaving, and where are you going when you do leave here?’

Mistral hesitated.

‘I cannot answer either of these questions, not because I do not want to, but because I do not know the answers.’

The Prince’s face was suddenly serious.

‘I wish I could help you,’ he said. ‘I would like to, but I don’t understand – ’ He broke off suddenly. ‘We are not going to discuss it now, at any rate. There is no time, for I must go back to my party, but we will meet tomorrow. We will go driving if the dragon will let you, then we can talk it over.’

‘I would like that,’ Mistral said simply.

‘Then I will call for you at three o’clock,’ the Prince said. ‘Come alone. The beau monde will chatter, but they have nothing else to do!’

He put his hand under Mistral’s arm and guided her back down the narrow twisting paths of the garden towards the Restaurant. Mistral was silent as they moved. She longed to stay where she was in the enchanting, lantern-lit garden with the star-strewn sky above.

She did not want to go back to the crowded Restaurant, to know that hundreds of curious eyes were watching her, that Aunt Emilie was waiting at their table like a hungry spider spinning some sinister web in which both she and the Prince were entwined. But there was nothing she could do but obey the pressure of the Prince’s hand. A few seconds later they had reached the table, the Prince had bowed and gone back to his guests.

‘Well?’

There was no mistaking the question in Emilie’s voice.

‘His Serene Highness has asked me to drive with him tomorrow afternoon,’ Mistral replied.

‘Good!’

There was warm approval in Emilie’s tones. She picked up the bouquet with which she had been presented on arrival.

‘We will go back to the Hotel now,’ she said.