‘Lydia,’ I said, ‘what now? I’ll talk to the woman – it’s her turn now. But the child’s things . . . It’s no good: we’ll have to take her with us, or else we won’t get all her belongings!’

‘Hm!’

‘And if we leave her here in Gripsholm, that woman’s perfectly capable of coming here to snatch her, and the whole business will start all over again. Can you explain that to the little thing?’

It took ten long minutes. I heard the little one crying next door; she kept bursting into tears. At last she calmed down, and when the castle-lady spoke to her as well, she finally became quiet.

‘Will you be sure to . . . will you be sure to take me back with you?’ she kept asking.

We promised her, and set off.

So that the child wouldn’t understand, we spoke in French.

‘I hope you’ll just throw the letter and the cheque in her face?’

‘Lydia,’ I said, ‘I want her to rage for a while. Just a bit . . . I want to have another look at it all. Just for a little while!’

In disagreement, the Princess lapsed from French into her beloved Platt. ‘You mean I’m to be savaged by a sheep, when I’ve got a dog in my pocket?’ We turned back to the little one, who was becoming more uneasy with each step that took us nearer the children’s home.

‘Will I be able to get out again? But she won’t let me – she won’t let me!’

‘We just have to collect your things. There’s no need to be afraid . . .’ When we saw the house, we fell silent. I quietly put my arm round the little one’s shoulders.

‘Come on – it’ll be all right!’ I had to pull her a little, but she came along quietly. We didn’t have to knock – the door was open.

Frau Adriani was downstairs in the hall, bending over a chest with her back to us. As soon as she heard our footsteps, she spun round.

‘Ah – there you are! Just as well for you! You didn’t meet my maid, then? No? Well, there was someone coming for her, if you hadn’t brought her yourself . . . Where did you run off to, you limb of Satan!’ she screamed at the child. ‘I’ll be talking to you later! I’ve got something to say to you! Now get upstairs!’ The child cowered behind the Princess.

‘One moment,’ I said, ‘not so fast. Why did the child run away from you?’