It was then that Violet knew what she must do, knew that to save him from humiliation and self-reproach she must sacrifice herself and the last remnants of her pride. She had lost him, lost him completely and absolutely, she knew that.

She had failed in what she had set out to do and had destroyed herself in the effort. She loved Robert as she had never loved a man before and never would again, but because she loved him, and loved him utterly and unselfishly, there was one last thing she could do for him.

She put out her hand as if she would lay it on his arm, then checked herself and let it fall to her side. She dare not touch him – she dare not.

‘One moment, Robert,’ she said coolly. ‘Before you talk to me about what has happened tonight, I have something I wish to say to you. Eric came here today.’

‘Eric!’

‘Yes, Eric,’ Violet repeated. ‘He drove over from Nice. He brought me news from England. His uncle, Sir Harold Featherstone, is dead, and he has made Eric his heir.’

‘Indeed! That is an excellent thing, I suppose, for Eric,’ Robert said.

It was obvious that he thought the story was of little consequence, but politely he let her continue without interruption.

‘Eric also told me,’ Violet went on quickly, ‘that his brother Alwyn was divorcing his wife. She has run away with another man and left her two children behind. Eric is more or less adopting them. He is taking them to Medway Park, the house his uncle has left him in Norfolk.’

She paused, then after a second she continued,

‘There is one other thing Eric told me – that my room at Medway Park is waiting should I wish to occupy it. He is ready to take me back, Robert, indeed he feels that I have never really left him, that I have always been his wife in name if not in fact.’

She could not look at Robert now. She could not bear to see what she knew would be there, the relief in his eyes.

She had saved him from humiliating himself and he would never know it.

‘I don’t want you to think hardly of me, Robert,’ Violet went on. ‘I don’t want to hurt you in any way, but I feel I cannot leave Eric alone to bring up two children, to manage a big house and estate without a wife to help him. When you came in, I was writing to him to tell him that I am going to join him in England.’

‘When?’

The monosyllable seemed to come abruptly from Robert’s lips.

‘Tomorrow or the next day,’ Violet replied airily. ‘As soon as I can close the Villa and pay off the servants.’