Sunday lunch. Hell’s bells. Here was he looking like death warmed up as his mirror had told him only too plainly that morning, and Ruby was coming. It would have been difficult enough to see her again if he had been hale and hearty and still in possession of his investments, but now? How could Clarissa do this to him? What had possessed her? He had to swallow hard before he could say, ‘You didn’t think to ask me if I thought this was a good idea, or at least give me the opportunity to dine elsewhere in town?’

‘You’re not well enough to dine elsewhere, and I knew if I asked you, you wouldn’t want to see her.’ Clarissa had decided it was time for plain speaking. ‘Which is ridiculous. Ruby is a dear friend and you are my brother – you can’t avoid each other for ever now you are back home. The first time you met was always going to be a little . . . uncomfortable for you both, so it’s better to get it over and done with and everyone can relax. That’s what I think.’

Again Edward glanced at Godfrey, who raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment. He’d met sergeant majors who weren’t a patch on his wife when she had a bee in her bonnet.

After a moment, Edward said quietly, ‘I wish you hadn’t done this, Clarissa.’

Clarissa had her own qualms which had been mounting all morning but she wasn’t about to admit this. She smiled sweetly. ‘You can meet as old friends surely? We are all perfectly civilized, after all.’

He wasn’t feeling civilized, certainly not towards his sister. He was about to ask, ‘What time is she coming?’ when a knock at the drawing-room door and the maid announcing Ruby’s name saved him the trouble.

The next moment Ruby walked in. He knew he ought to say something, to rise to the occasion, but as Clarissa jumped up and hurried forward, taking Ruby’s hands as she said, ‘Oh, darling, you must be frozen, it’s so cold outside. Come and get warm by the fire,’ he found himself unable to even stand to his feet. And then Godfrey had stood up and moved forward, giving him much needed seconds to compose himself. As he rose, he was praying his legs would hold him. She looked even lovelier than he remembered and so full of life, her cheeks pink with the cold and her beautiful hair shining like silk. Somehow he managed to smile and hold out his hand and say coolly, ‘Ruby, how nice. It’s been such a long time. I trust you are well?’

‘Quite well, thank you, Edward.’ There was a split second of screamingly awkward silence before she added, ‘And you? I hear you have been ill.’

‘Oh, I’m fine now, as you see.’