In a fog of confusion, Lou descended into the cacophony of the party. The hall was so full of people that there was hardly space to move. Bainbridge stood at the front door, announcing the arrival of guests who Sir Charles and Lady Mandeville greeted. Maids in black dresses and crisply starched aprons waited to take coats and hats to the small cloakroom off the vestibule. Guests circulated, moving from room to room, as maids and footmen in their fine livery, squeezed between them with trays of food and drinks.

‘Louisa!’

Charlotte stood on tiptoes in the doorway of the ballroom, beckoning. Lou eased through the throng. If she could, she would form a human shield around that girl to protect her. Charlotte grabbed her hand, pulling her into the ballroom. ‘Look!’ she exclaimed. ‘Isn’t it wonderful!’

Lou’s mouth fell open. High above the couples packing the dance floor, waiting for the music to begin again, candles blazed in the chandeliers. Light caught in the crystal pendants and sparkled in the mirrors lining the walls. The blue curtains at each of the four tall doors leading out to the garden were decorated with lengths of crystal pendants threaded together, giving the illusion of icicles, and at the far end of the room, the musicians sat before a backdrop painted to resemble a palace of ice. The ballroom was barely recognisable as the cold, empty room Lou had first seen a few days ago.

‘Isn’t it marvellous?’ Charlotte shouted to make her voice heard as the musicians struck up a tune. ‘Mama has outdone herself this year! Wait until you see the dining room. Monsieur Gotti has created a swan from ice, and there are ice creams in the shape of fruit – pineapples and peaches and … oh, what else was it, Melinda?’ she asked a long-faced, horsey-looking girl in a peach meringue confection of a dress.

‘I believe Colonel Hampton said they are called guavas,’ the girl answered.

‘That’s it. Guavas!’ Charlotte laughed. ‘Louisa, this is Melinda Forbes. Melinda, this is Louisa Arnold, my newest but very dearest friend.’

Lou had hardly said hello when a swarm of young men descended on Charlotte and Melinda, desperate to scrawl their names on the dance cards secured with blue ribbons around their wrists. Please, won’t one of you lovely young men sweep Charlotte off her feet. Elope with her tonight. Get her far away from here as quickly as possible.

Worried that her presence might have the dampening effect of a chaperone, Lou made her way back out into the hall. The heat from the fires and so many bodies threatened to knock her off her feet. Surely with so many people here, nobody would notice if she slipped away. She looked towards the stairs but sensed someone behind her.

‘Good evening, Lou.’

She closed her eyes, steeling herself before turning to face the owner of the voice. She was momentarily struck dumb by the sight of him dressed in tails, a perfect white bowtie at his collar, his hair neatly slicked to one side.