Nancy bit her lip. Mentioning the likelihood of the steelworks one day passing down to her father’s grandchildren had been a grave tactical error, especially as she had no interest in perpetuating a House of Remer steel dynasty and was hoping that Claus would find a way of eventually dissociating himself from it.

‘I appreciate that Claus and I will have difficulties to face,’ she said stiffly, aware it was the first time in her life her mother had been so curiously unbending towards her, ‘but we love each other and we’re going to overcome our difficulties together.’

Hopefully, she waited for her mother to put her arms around her and to tell her she was sorry if she had upset her and that she was happy she and Claus were in love. Just as she thought such a move was about to be made, Paul came into the room, Emily Elise toddling in his wake and, as her mother scooped Emily Elise into her arms, the moment was lost.

‘I never realized how difficult snatching private moments was going to be for us,’ Claus said, doubtfully eyeing the door and the chair jammed beneath the doorknob.

It was early evening and they were lying on his bed, semi-dressed. He was wearing slacks, his shirt unbuttoned, his chest bare. She was naked apart from a rose-pink underslip and matching, lace-trimmed cami-knickers. ‘You’re worrying needlessly, darling. A herd of elephants couldn’t dislodge that chair.’ Serenly unfazed, Nancy played her fingers slowly across his chest and down towards his stomach. ‘And anyhow, no well-mannered person ever walks into someone else’s bedroom without first knocking. And everyone is well mannered at Shuttleworth Hall.’

Her hand slid beneath the waistband of his slacks. He looked towards the door again. Having their family know they were in love was one thing. Making love practically within earshot of them all was quite another and he knew he wasn’t going to be comfortable doing so.

Gently, he removed her hand.

She gave a sigh, accepting the restrictions he was imposing on them. ‘We’ll simply have to book into the Queen’s Hotel at Leeds,’ she said practically.

‘Don’t you mean the Queen’s Hotel in Harrogate?’

She shook her head, moving her leg up and across him. ‘Absolutely not. I’m known at the Queen’s Hotel in Harrogate.’

His erection was so urgent, it hurt.

Well aware of the agony she was putting him through, she smiled, brushing his mouth with her lips, saying softly as she did so, ‘It wouldn’t be like this, if we were married.’

‘Then marry me,’ he said thickly, taking hold of her and rolling her beneath him.

She hooked her legs around his. ‘When? We could see the vicar tomorrow, have the first of the banns called on Sunday and marry in three weeks’ time.’

His hand, sliding up the warm flesh of her thigh, came to a sudden stop. ‘Without my parents? They’d never forgive me.’ His hand began moving again. ‘You could pack up your job on the Yorkshire Post and travel back with me to Berlin. We could marry in the Kaiser Wilhelm Kirche.’