The Prince did not like hurrying over his meals, which were, Gretna discovered, invariably very elaborate and it was well after three o’clock before any of them rose from the dining table.

Then Maria wished to drive in Hyde Park and, although Sir Harry offered to accompany them, there was no chance of speaking with him in private.

It was only when they returned home and it was obvious that now was the moment for him to make his farewells that Maria left them in the salon while she went to interview someone who had called to solicit her help.

As she closed the door behind her, Gretna said a little shyly,

“You must think it strange of me, Sir Harry, to ask you not to mention where we first met. B-but the Marquis is not a f-friend of Mistress Fitzherbert.”

Sir Harry looked a little uncomfortable at that and Gretna knew at once that he was well aware of the Marquis’s sentiments where Maria was concerned.

“I would not say anything to embarrass you,” he declared.

“Maria will not ask questions,” Gretna said. “And I presume that you did not believe that Mrs. Merryweather, the farmer’s wife, who was accompanying me in the stagecoach, was really my aunt.”

“I am not mutton-headed,” Sir Harry replied. “I thought it a hum from the moment she said it. You are far too beautiful to be connected in any way with a farm, nasty dirty places I always think.”

Gretna laughed at that and suddenly they were both laughing, two young people amused more by the sheer adventure of living than because anything was particularly funny.

“When shall I see you again?” Sir Harry asked and there was no mistaking his eagerness.

“You know where I am living,” Gretna answered demurely.

‘You will permit me to call?”

“I am always very pleased to see – old friends.”

Even as she spoke the words she thought that she was glad to see Sir Harry. He was young and gay and there was nothing complicated in her relationship towards him. They could laugh at the same things. He was easy to talk to and never would he make her feel fearful as the Marquis did.

“I shall never forgive Stade for turning me away that evening and making me go to a ball that turned out to be a dead bore,” Sir Harry continued. “I give you my word that I have thought about you ever since and, when I saw you last night, I could hardly believe my luck.”

“I still think it was very clever of you to recognise me.”

“I could not forget you and that’s the truth,” Sir Harry insisted.

There was no doubting his sincerity and, when Gretna held out her hand to him, he raised it to his lips.

“I will be here tomorrow. That is if we don’t meet tonight, as I expect we shall.”

“Tonight?” Gretna queried.