Two days later, they all removed to Everingham Abbey. As they arrived, staff spilled out of the front door and lined up to greet the duke. More than twenty people, all standing starched and straight; they were a daunting sight until George noticed the warm and genuine smiles that greeted the duke. He spoke to each one of them and introduced her to each by name.

He was loved here, she could see. But by his demeanor, she wasn’t sure he knew it.

The two boys, once they’d recovered from the sheer size and awe-inspiring atmosphere of the ancient pile, took the duke’s invitation to explore the place for themselves to heart.

They took to their new location with gusto, finding enough fascinating nooks and crannies indoors to delight and entertain young boys in wet weather, and a sprawling garden, a bubbling stream and a nearby forest to explore by sunshine.

George, too, was enthralled by its ancient archways and worn stone steps; the rich paneling; artwork in every room, amassed over multiple generations; the new sections grafted on to the old; the modern kitchen and the luxurious room set aside just for bathing.

It was a fascinating mix of eras and styles and she loved its eccentricity. Hart, when he showed her around the house, was apologetic about its sprawling inconvenience and the rabbit warren of hallways and corridors, especially in the old sections, but she could tell his diffidence masked a powerful love of this place.

The master bedroom was huge and a little intimidating, but once she’d passed the night with Hart, making love in the big old, extremely comfortable bed, she was reconciled to the heavy draperies and the general air of consequence. Once more the duke invited her to redecorate, but she wasn’t up to that yet.

Besides, she had to remember that this wasn’t to be her house; in the marriage settlements they’d agreed on, she was to get a house of her own. The thought weighed on her.

Danny, with an eye to future treats, ingratiated himself with the kitchen staff first, while Phillip introduced himself to the stable inhabitants. Every morning he raised some comment about life in the stables, indirectly and very politely reminding George of her offer to teach him how to ride. While after every meal, skinny little Danny gave the staff lavish compliments about the food.

It amused Hart. “Those boys will do well in life,” he said to George after breakfast one day. “They know what they want and, each in his own way, goes after it; the subtle and the blatant.”