‘I’d like to ask if you’d come with me, Daddy. I’ll tell you where in a minute. We could go away together, take some time and enjoy one another’s company. As we did in Italy years ago.’

There was a long silence. The phone crackled and she could feel his unease creeping towards her along the line.

‘Actually, darling, I’m going away myself. Next week. I’m afraid I’ve already arranged it. I felt I needed to . . .’

He was going somewhere with Giles. She was sure of it and she wanted him to be happy, but now that the time had come she could not be glad.

‘Wait, Camilla, I can put it off. Really.’

‘Where will you be going?’

‘To Morocco. But I can go another time.’ He was beginning to sound guilty. Desperate.

‘With Giles?’ She had to know.

‘Yes.’ She heard him swallow hard.

‘That’s fine, Daddy. Ring me when you get back. I know you’ll have a lovely time. Bye.’

Over dinner with Edward she broached the subject of going to Kenya. His eyes grew wary.

‘It’s not wise to go so soon after surgery,’ he said. ‘The flight is too long, and it’s a place where you could easily pick up an infection. Ideally, we need to go somewhere that you’re not going to be in the blazing sun. I thought we could go to Switzerland. Take a chalet at Klosters or Gstaad.’

‘I don’t want to do my face right now.’

‘But the French contract is coming up, and it will take several weeks before you can be photographed.’

‘I don’t care. I want to go to Kenya. My friend Hannah is getting married. I want to be there with her, and with Sarah.’

He wiped the corners of his mouth with his white napkin, preparing his words, remaining measured as always. ‘Camilla, your last visit to Kenya brought you nothing but unhappiness and appalling danger. And you may run into situations that are best left buried in your memory. In the past. I don’t think you should go there at all. Not now, at any rate. Why don’t you send a wedding present of a visit to London, for Hannah and her husband. They could stay here with us, and—’

‘You’re not really thinking of Hannah. You’re thinking about Anthony Chapman.’

‘He hurt you very badly.’

‘You don’t have any faith in me,’ she said.

He rose from the table. ‘I’d rather you didn’t go. And I’d already pencilled in your surgery for the end of next week. You should think it over. Didn’t you say something about going away with George?’

‘He’s taking his boyfriend to Morocco,’ she said. ‘And I don’t think they want me along.’