Arthur absent-mindedly gathered in the cards and added his brother’s stake to the small pile of coins in front of him. As he dealt the next hand he spoke with forced calm.

‘Is it always like this?’

‘What?’

‘All this pain? The suffering of the wife and the anxiety of the husband?’

‘Oh, yes.’ Richard smiled. ‘It was the same every time with Hyacinthe.A lot of noise, shouting, insults and so on. I soon learned that it was best to keep out of it and let the womenfolk tend to her.’

‘I think it would be best if I went and comforted her. Kitty needs me.’

‘No she doesn’t,’ Richard replied firmly. ‘Trust me. Now deal me another card.’

Arthur obliged and his brother examined his hand and laid it down. ‘I think I’ll stick with that.’

Arthur flipped his over. An ace and a king. Richard frowned as his stake was swept away once more.

‘I came here to offer you comfort and support and you insist on fleecing me. I’ve had enough of cards. Besides, your mind is not on the game.’

‘How could it be?’ Arthur replied with a nod to the ceiling as Kitty cried out again. ‘My mind is on my wife and her suffering.’

‘Then we must find other means of diverting your attention.’ Richard poured himself another glass of port from the decanter and topped up Arthur’s glass. ‘Drink. It will help. Now then, I’ve been meaning to ask you, how long do you think the present government will last? It seems that the so called ministry of all the talents is missing the most vital talent of all in the field of politics, namely that of self-preservation. ’

Arthur could not help smiling as he nodded his agreement.‘They do seem intent on failure.’

‘As well as undermining me as much as they can.’

‘That is just the Whigs, Richard. Most of the Tories are ambivalent about the charges against you, if not actually supportive of your position.’

‘That is small comfort.And I do question why my own brother lends his support to such a coalition of my enemies.’

Arthur sighed wearily. ‘Our country is at war, Richard. We cannot afford any unnecessary dissention in Parliament. So I must support the government, even if some of its members are hell-bent on ruining your reputation.’

‘War?’ Richard mused. ‘A strange kind of war it seems to me. After Trafalgar and Austerlitz Britain rules the seas while France rules the land, and we are condemned to regard each other warily, but unable to fight.’