The dessert had been placed on the table. The port had circulated once. Catching Mrs Vanderlyn’s eye, Lady Julia rose. The three women left the room.

The port passed once more, and Lord Mayfield referred lightly to pheasants. The conversation for five minutes or so was sporting. Then Sir George said:

‘Expect you’d like to join the others in the drawing-room, Reggie, my boy. Lord Mayfield won’t mind.’

The boy took the hint easily enough.

‘Thanks, Lord Mayfield, I think I will.’

Mr Carlile mumured:

‘If you’ll excuse me, Lord Mayfield—certain memoranda and other work to get through …’

Lord Mayfield nodded. The two young men left the room. The servants had retired some time before. The Minister for Armaments and the head of the Air Force were alone.

After a minute or two, Carrington said:

‘Well—O.K.?’

‘Absolutely! There’s nothing to touch this new bomber in any country in Europe.’

‘Make rings round ’em, eh? That’s what I thought.’

‘Supremacy of the air,’ said Lord Mayfield decisively.

Sir George Carrington gave a deep sigh.

‘About time! You know, Charles, we’ve been through a ticklish spell. Lots of gunpowder everywhere all over Europe. And we weren’t ready, damn it! We’ve had a narrow squeak. And we’re not out of the wood yet, however much we hurry on construction.’

Lord Mayfield murmured:

‘Nevertheless, George, there are some advantages in starting late. A lot of the European stuff is out of date already—and they’re perilously near bankruptcy.’

‘I don’t believe that means anything,’ said Sir George gloomily. ‘One’s always hearing this nation and that is bankrupt! But they carry on just the same. You know, finance is an absolute mystery to me.’

Lord Mayfield’s eyes twinkled a little. Sir George Carrington was always so very much the old fashioned ‘bluff, honest old sea dog’. There were people who said that it was a pose he deliberately adopted.

Changing the subject, Carrington said in a slightly over-casual manner:

‘Attractive woman, Mrs Vanderlyn—eh?’

Lord Mayfield said:

‘Are you wondering what she’s doing here?’

His eyes were amused.

Carrington looked a little confused.

‘Not at all—not at all.’

‘Oh, yes, you were! Don’t be an old humbug, George. You were wondering, in a slightly dismayed fashion, whether I was the latest victim!’

Carrington said slowly:

‘I’ll admit that it did seem a trifle odd to me that she should be here—well, this particular weekend.’

Lord Mayfield nodded.

‘Where the carcass is, there are the vultures gathered together. We’ve got a very definite carcass, and Mrs Vanderlyn might be described as Vulture No. 1.’

The Air Marshal said abruptly:

‘Know anything about this Vanderlyn woman?’

Lord Mayfield clipped off the end of a cigar, lit it with precision and, throwing his head back, dropped out his words with careful deliberation.