“Why should I hear this? It is not my place to answer doors. Did someone inform you that a visitor came to the front door?”

I nodded. “I was told that someone came to deliver a message to me,” I said, saying the first thing that came to mind. “A friend who thought she would find me here. But she could make nobody hear and thought nobody was home.”

Irmtraut sniffed. “I heard nothing. You should ask the servants. But they do not pay proper attention, I think. They remain shut away in their own quarters, enjoying themselves. They are very lazy, these English servants. I never got the pickled herring I sent for. This is always the way without a butler or proper housekeeper to watch over them.”

“Your room is above the front door,” I went on, trying desperately to think of what to ask her that might be revealing. “You didn’t hear a car pull up all evening?”

“Only when you and the princess returned home. Until then nothing. It is very boring.”

“I’m sorry. It must have been. But tonight will be better.”

“With English jokes I do not understand,” she said. “You will please tell me when I should laugh.”

I left her then and went up to my own room. She had not seemed at all rattled by my questions and one would have expected such a person to become easily flustered. But perhaps Countess Irmtraut was made of sterner stuff.

Queenie was sitting on my bed, tentatively brushing the hem of my burgundy velvet dress.

“You got this in a right mess, didn’t you?” she demanded, looking up as I came in. “Caked with bloody mud.”

“Sorry. I had to walk in the rain when I went to have dinner with Princess Louise,” I said, then wondered why I was apologizing to a maid. I’m sure none of my royal relatives would have done so.

“Well, it’s ruddy hard work trying to brush off the mud without brushing off the nap and getting a right earful from you,” she said. “And nobody even bothered to bring up me tea.”

“Oh dear. Hold on a minute. I’ll go down and find you some. The tea things are still out in our sitting room.” I knew I was being too soft, but I couldn’t help it.

As I came back into the sitting room Irmtraut was standing at the window, looking out. When she heard footsteps she let the curtain fall and spun to face me. Was I mistaken or was that a guilty look on her face?

I couldn’t say that I’d come to fetch my maid some cake. She’d be horrified.

“I decided I did want a little sustenance after all,” I said, putting a scone and a couple of pieces of shortbread on a plate. “Almost time to get dressed for the theater.” And I breezed out again.