The way she said those words shot a dagger of warning through my heart. I tried not to think what Darcy’s relationship had been with her, or still was. Was this one of the friends’ couches he claimed he slept on when he was in London? If so, then I didn’t think that he actually slept on the couch. The princess handed me my sherry.

“Drink up,” she said. “Get that down you and you’ll feel better. I always do. I find sherry so much more comforting than gin when I need bucking up. And you clearly need bucking up at the moment.” She resumed her position in the chair across the fire from me. “So tell me, what’s wrong?” she asked. “Tell Auntie Zou Zou everything. Maybe I can help.”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “I don’t think there is anything any of us can do.” But I found myself telling her what I knew. She was a good listener. She nodded when I had finished. “My goodness. I had no idea. I never read newspapers apart from the social column. Too depressing for words. Poor boy. I understood that his father was a difficult man and their relationship was fractious, but this—this is terrible. So why did you not go with him? Does he not need the support of a loving woman at this difficult hour?”

“He didn’t want me there,” I said, and I heard the tremble in my voice. “He said this wasn’t the time to introduce me to his father.”

“I suppose not. A proud man does not like to be seen in such circumstances. So where are you staying in London?”

“I’ve been at Kensington Palace, helping Princess Marina before her wedding.”

“Oh, of course. The famous wedding. I wasn’t invited, of course.” She paused and a frown crossed that perfect face, then she grinned. “Probably because I knew the groom a little too well.” And she laughed again. “So will you stay at the palace and join the Aunt Heap?”

“Oh no. The apartment is being closed up and I’ll go back to my brother at Rannoch House.”

“Oh, of course. You’re Binky’s sister. How thick of me. One hasn’t seen anything of him since he married that dreadful woman. Is she really as poisonous as one hears?”

“She really is,” I said and we shared a smile.

“Then I don’t envy you.” She waved her cigarette holder in my direction. “You must stay for dinner tonight. I have a fun crowd coming. People you might know.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly,” I began but she waved the cigarette holder again.