“Me too,” he said. “I can’t tell you how utterly dreary it is working in that office. Filing, copying lists, more filing. I’m sure if Sir Hubert had realized what it was like he’d never have sentenced me to be articled there. He’d never have stuck it for two minutes. He’d have gone mad with boredom.”

“How is he?” I asked. “Is there any news?”

He bit his lip, like a little boy. “No change. Still in a coma. I’d really like to go over to be with him, but there’s nothing I could do, even if I could afford the fare. One feels so helpless.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“He’s the only person I have in the world. Still, these things happen, I suppose. Let’s talk about more cheerful subjects. We’ll have a rattling good time at that fancy dress ball. Will you dance with me?”

“Of course, if you can bear my standard of dancing.”

“Mine too. We’ll both say ‘ow’ in unison.”

“What are you going as?” I asked.

“Lady Mountjoy said she has some costumes we can borrow. I thought I’d take her up on her kind offer. I don’t really have the time or money to visit the costume shops in the West End. She mentioned a highwayman and I must say that rather caught my fancy. Swashbuckling, don’t you know.”

We laughed as we reached the busy thoroughfare of Knightsbridge. We soon found a quiet little café and ordered coffee. A large woman was seated at the next table. Her face was too obviously made up, and a fox fur grinned at us from around her neck. She smiled and nodded to us as we sat down.

“Lovely day, isn’t it? Just the right sort of day for young people like you to go walking in the park. I’m just off to Harrods myself, although they are not what they were, are they? Catering to the masses nowadays, I always say.” She broke off as the waitress put a cup in front of her, and then gave us our coffees. “Ta, love,” she said, “and don’t forget the cream slice, will you? I must have my cream slice to keep up my strength.”

“I’ll get it for you,” the waitress said.

Tristram glanced at me and grinned.

“Sugar?” Tristram dropped a lump into his coffee, then offered me the bowl.

“No, thanks. Don’t take it.”

I felt a tap on my back. “Excuse me, miss, but could I borrow your sugar? There doesn’t seem to be any on my table. Really, standards are getting so lax these days, aren’t they?”