‘Well, we all put up our easels and set our palettes and so on. Sonia came in last and Katti said we’d begin. Sonia went into the junk-room and undressed. She came out in her white kimono and hung about trying to get the men to talk to her. Katti told her to go on to the throne. She got down into the chalk-marks. She always fitted her right thigh into its trace first, with the drape behind her. I don’t know if you understand?’

‘Yes, I think I do.’

And indeed Alleyn suddenly had a very vivid impression of what must have taken place. He saw the model, wrapped in the thin white garment, her warm and vital beauty shining through it. He saw her speak to the men, look at them perhaps with a pathetic attempt to draw their attention to herself. Then the white wrapper would slide to the floor and the nude figure sink gingerly into a half-recumbent posture on the throne.

‘She grumbled as usual about the pose and said she was sick of it. I remember now that she asked if we knew where Garcia had gone on his hiking trip. I suppose he wouldn’t tell her. Then she lay down on her side. The drape was still stretched taut behind her. There is generally a sort of key position among the different canvases. When we set the pose we always look at that particular canvas to get it right. My painting was in this position so it was always left to me to push her down into the right position. She could have done it all herself but she always made such a scene. I’d got into the way of taking her shoulders and pressing them over. She wouldn’t do it otherwise. So I leant over and gripped them. They felt smooth and alive. She began to make a fuss. She said “Don’t”, and I said “Don’t be such a fool”. Katti said: “Oh, for Heaven’s sake, Sonia!” Something like that. Sonia said: “Your hands are cold, you’re hurting me”. Then she let herself go and I pushed down.’ Valmai Seacliff raised her hands and pressed them against her face.