“Oh, I see,” I replied. “And I suppose there’s no chance of my staying on here alone for a while?”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Just won’t be possible. We’ll be closing up the place, you see. Sending the servants back to Scotland. We simply can’t afford to keep two houses open.”

“I’m able to survive quite well on my own now,” I said.

“But it’s the added expense, isn’t it? Money is horribly tight, Georgiana. And one understands that the price of coal has shot up.” She was staring into a fire that was glowing most healthily. Then she turned back, waving a bony finger at me. “You know what you should do? You should talk to the queen, as you seem to be quite chummy with her. Surely one of your aged royal aunts can use you as a companion. I understand that Kensington Palace is full of them. Isn’t it known as the Aunt Heap?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m sure there are plenty of places I can go,” I said brightly. “My grandfather has always told me I’m welcome to stay with him.”

Fig blinked rapidly, something she did when nervous. “You mean your mother’s father? The one who was a policeman? Who lives in Essex?”

“It would hardly be the old Duke of Rannoch. He’s been dead for thirty years.”

“Georgiana, it simply isn’t done. Someone of your social standing cannot stay with a retired Cockney policeman in Essex!”

“The king and queen go to Sandringham,” I pointed out. “That’s only one county away.”

“You know what I mean,” she snapped. “One does have the honor of the family to uphold.”

“The family gives me no money to uphold their honor,” I pointed out. “But don’t worry. I expect the Princess Zamanska can find me somewhere.”

“Who?” she asked. “Zamanska? Not that dreadful woman one reads about jumping out of planes?”

All in all I was holding my own rather well. I should have enjoyed needling her. Heaven knows she had said enough hateful things to me over the years. But the thought running through my head all the time was that I had to be where Darcy could find me. He would telephone as soon as he had any news. Hopefully that would be before the end of the week. And then he’d ask me to go to him.

Hamilton had just brought in a tray of coffee when we heard the sound of the front door slamming and footsteps in the hall. My brother, Binky, appeared, his face half hidden under a big red scarf. “Beastly day out there, Fig. The air positively tastes like soot. I don’t think Nanny should take the children out into the gardens.”

“You know how hot she is on fresh air and exercise,” Fig said.