‘After all Daisy has done for me,’ said Rose, ‘I do not think she should have a hole-and-corner wedding. She needs a proper wedding.’

‘Very well. I think you will find Mr Jarvis will help you with the arrangements. Tell him to get a special licence. I would suggest, Lady Rose, that it might be a good idea to get the wedding over with before your parents return.’

Rose planned a really pretty wedding for Daisy. Miss Friendly was still busy setting up her salon but promised to work day and night to create a wedding gown.

There was the delicate question of whether Daisy should be married in white, but Rose thought the fewer people who knew of Daisy’s pregnancy, the better, Madame Bailloux pointing out with French cynicism that she was sure many of the society misses went to the altar already enceinte.

Matthew Jarvis had found a quiet City church. Then there was the thorny question of Daisy’s family. Daisy was nervous at the thought of her drunken father turning up, but Harry pointed out Daisy could hardly invite her mother and brothers and sisters and exclude her father. Matthew booked the upstairs reception room of a pub near the church.

Daisy’s emotions were see-sawing. One moment she was elated about the marriage and the next depressed that she and Becket would still be servants.

Harry called on Kerridge one day before the wedding. He was touched to learn that Kerridge had received an invitation.

‘I’ve had another communication from the French police today,’ said Kerridge. ‘They’re no further forwards. Lemonier might be coming over. You see, he feels that Miss Levine may have invented that cyclist and that perhaps Lady Rose really meant to commit suicide.’

‘Ridiculous!’

‘I know, I know. But they are feeling frustrated. Madame de Peurey was in her day a very high-class tart with powerful lovers, and the press are calling the police incompetent.’

‘I don’t really know what to do about Lady Rose,’ said Harry. ‘There’s this wedding of Daisy’s. I kept the announcement out of the newspapers, not wanting to draw any attention to her. Lady Rose mostly keeps indoors. I must think of a way to protect her when this wretched wedding is over.’

‘I thought you’d be happy about it. I thought you were quite fond of that man of yours.’

‘Oh, Becket’s sterling stuff, but it means I have to give house room to both of them. I’d better find a way to set Becket up in some sort of business. But now that Phil Marshall has left, I’m going to find it very difficult to replace him.’

‘I didn’t think servants were allowed to get married.’

‘They’re not. But I suppose I am considered unconventional enough as it is. Once this wedding is over, I must think of someplace safe to put Lady Rose.’

‘All this should be her parents’ problem, surely,’ said Kerridge.

‘Agreed. But I don’t know where they are. I sent a telegram to their hotel in Monte Carlo and paid for a reply. The manager replied saying that Lord and Lady Hadshire had left and he did not have a forwarding address. Where could they have gone?’