Camilla looked at him, considering. His plan had triggered an idea. ‘Maybe,’ she said. ‘I’ll let you know tomorrow.’

She telephoned her father in the morning and was glad to find that he had no immediate travel plans. Then she rang Tom.

‘Get caterers,’ she said. ‘We’re going to have this thing at my flat.’

‘It’s rather small,’ he said doubtfully.

‘We’ll have it at Edward’s place, then. He won’t mind. He has a dragon of a housekeeper who’ll supervise everything. And don’t worry about the invitations. I’ll send them out myself. It will save you wondering if that ghastly girl in your office has dribbled coffee on the cards. More important, it will save me worrying about it.’

Edward was happily surprised. ‘Of course you can have it here,’ he said. ‘But I thought you didn’t like to mix our professional and private lives.’

‘What private lives are those?’ she asked. ‘Neither of us has time for a private life.’

He looked at her and then sat down in an armchair and took her on to his lap. ‘I’m so sorry, darling,’ he said, his voice cracking. ‘I’m so terribly sorry.’

She was taken aback by his reaction. ‘It’s all right, Edward. It’s only that I wanted to—’

‘No. It’s not all right at all,’ he said. ‘I love you, Camilla. I adore you, and I’m not spending half enough time with you. But I’m going to put that right from this moment.’

She smiled at him and he kissed her and ran his hands under her shirt, closing his eyes, reminding himself of the miracle she was in his life. When he made love to her he was conscious of a heightened tenderness within him. Afterwards he held her very close and stroked her until she fell asleep.