“Bloody silly,” he said. He moved closer to my horse. “Maybe the old cow won’t want me here after this, and I can go home where I belong.”

I looked at him with compassion, wondering how I’d fare my first week on a sheep station in Australia. “Jack, you have to stay and give it a chance,” I said. “Nobody expects you to learn all the ropes at once. And you’ll be a duke someday. That’s really important. Your father gave his life being awfully brave in the war. Don’t you think he’d want you to make the most of your chances?”

Jack shook his head. “From what my mum told me, he thought this whole duke-and-title stuff was bloody silly too. He’d have been quite happy to stay down in Australia.”

“At least give it a chance,” I said. “You really know nothing about England yet. It’s lovely in summer—cricket and cream teas on the lawn . . .”

“Cricket?”

“Yes, it’s a game that . . .”

“I know all about cricket. It’s the Australian national sport. I’m a great fast bowler. You should see my googlies.”

We dismounted, and grooms took the horses away. It will be all right in the end, I thought. Jack will play on the village cricket team and everyone will adore him. . . .

When I went into the house and up to my room Queenie was now awake but unapologetic, and I had her run me a bath before luncheon. At luncheon the children were anxious to hear all about the hunt, but Edwina remained tight-lipped.

“Was the fox killed?” Katherine asked. “Did Jack get blooded?”

“I believe he did,” Edwina said.

“I do wish you’d buy us decent ponies, Uncle Cedric, so that we could join in,” Nick said. “It’s really not fair.”

“Ask your father to buy you ponies,” Cedric said. “You’re his responsibility, not mine.”

“How can we ask him? We don’t even know where he is,” Kat said.

“Precisely.” Cedric went back to his meal.

“It’s not their fault that their father ran off,” Irene said.

“The spirits might tell us,” Princess Charlotte said excitedly. “We haven’t had our séance yet, have we? Let’s do it tonight, after dinner. Then Jack can contact his father, and we can track down Irene’s wandering husband.”

Cedric stood up. “Really, this family is too ridiculous for words. Not a word of intelligent conversation among you. Babbling and dotty old aunts, a domineering mother and a whining, complaining sister. I’ve had enough. It’s time you all moved out and left me in peace. I’m under no obligation to feed you, let alone listen to your twaddle.” And he stomped out of the dining room.

“Oh, dear. We’ve upset him,” Charlotte said. “Do you think he really will throw us out, Edwina? Where would we go?”

“I’m afraid my son is behaving like a spoiled child,” Edwina said, her voice cracking with emotion. “He needs reminding that this is the family seat of which he is caretaker for a while. It is not his house.”