‘Look, I’ll need the detail. Come and see me this evening, obviously not in my office, and brief me. Better, I’ll come to your house if that’s convenient. And I’ll speak to Mannheim. It’s probably a good idea to get the paperwork flowing.’

‘He says you can call him any time. Come for supper.’

‘Thanks, that would be good. I’m just off to address a meeting of the small-business folks. Shits as they are formally called in this office. They are in a very bad mood. See you at about eight?’

‘Fine. Don’t come in your official car.’

‘I’ll come on my bike.’

The Minister is an advocate of cycling and a bachelor. Although they didn’t really know each other then, they were contemporaries at Cambridge and it provides a bond. Of course Goldstone is only interested in making financial policy look good until the election. They both understand the deal. But he also has a more than sneaking reverence for the very rich.

He calls Kimberly.

‘Hello, darling. All well?’

‘I’m fine. How about you? You were developing a migraine, weren’t you? I can always tell by that look when your eyes begin to cross.’

‘No, I’m on the mend. Look, Kim, Olly Goldstone’s coming for supper at eight. He’ll be late. Can we have something ready in my study upstairs?’

‘What’s he want?’

‘Oh, it’s probably the usual, cash for the Party, or some committee or something he would like me on.’

‘Is everything all right?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, you and Nigel skulking in the garden at dawn and Olly in your study secretly at night?’

‘There is something going on, but it’s all good. Trust me. Can we leave it at that for the moment?’

‘Yup, I guess so. We don’t want me to worry my pretty little head unnecessarily, do we?’

‘No, we don’t.’

‘OK, honey. I’ve got to go, and you’ve got to save the nation.’

‘I’m trying. Love you.’

He hates this dissimulation. It’s eating away at what’s left of his innocence. He feels as if he is being hollowed out.

He asks his secretary to get Estelle. She arrives with piles of paper, enveloped in by her old-lady microclimate. She wants to discuss the provisional list for the memorial service. He begs a few days’ grace.

‘By the way, what’s going to happen with the villa?’ she asks.

‘I think Kim and I would like to use it more. But no hurry. Why do you ask?’

‘Well, your brother wants to move in. In fact he’s there now looking the place over. He has some suggestions for improvement.’

‘Oh, shit. Can’t he go back to Africa or somewhere?’

‘And also, Lady Trevelyan-Tubal was asking what the plans are.’