But William would hear none of it. It was his firmly held belief that Mrs Lockwood was a person of the utmost probity. It was not in her nature to make trouble: she was in all things reticent and had spoken only from concern for himself and his reputation. Indeed, he was grateful to her for having brought to his attention his wife’s relations with Dr Nolan, which were surely improper. They had consorted for some months during his absence, causing tongues to wag in Cheltenham. The fact that she had forgone the administrations of their old family doctor in favour of this man spoke volumes. But this was not all of his trouble concerning her. Why, at luncheon at Sudeley Castle only the week before last, someone had alluded to Alice’s impossible position on the Crimean campaign. It was worse than unseemly for a man in receipt of the Queen’s highest award for valour to find himself the subject of gossip in the county because of a wife who could not keep her own counsel. It was intolerable! He had made it evident to his wife that she must desist from her politicking, but still he was visited by rumour.

‘William, the widow is taking you for a fool. You know as well as I do that Alice has no feeling for this doctor. If this were so, why would she have been trying to marry him off to every young woman for miles around? You know she even attempted to match him with Algie’s poor girl, Emily? Would she not keep him by her, if she wanted him for herself? I would remind you, furthermore, that Dr Nolan is plainness personified: why should she care a fig for him when she has a handsome husband in yourself?’

‘She is intemperate in all things,’ said William.

‘It is true that she makes little secret of her views and that some of those views are not popular. She is spirited. But you knew this when you married her: she has not changed.’

‘Well, perhaps I have.’

‘I would remind you that marriage is a Sacrament ordained by God. You must not discard it at will, as you might a pair of old boots.’

‘The law would say otherwise. You may have read in the papers that there has lately been an alteration in the law, concerning the dissolution of marriages. If my wife has made a cuckold and a laughing stock of me I should be ill advised to keep her.’

‘You are not Henry the Eighth, William! This is absurd. Really you are being uncommonly obstinate. You must cast these baseless accusations from your mind. I urge you to cease all communication with this malicious Mrs Lockson.’

‘Lockwood. Her name is Mrs Lockwood.’