‘Thinking about it earlier made me wonder,’ said Dorothea, wistfully. ‘I loved him dearly but … was Orsino really the man I took him to be?’

Sir Marcus Brough had always been popular. Arriving at his club, he was met with a polite fusillade of greetings from staff and members. He shared an individual word with each one of them before going into the dining room. He was pleased to see that his guest was already seated at the table he’d reserved for them. After a ritual handshake, they sat opposite each other. As they perused the menu, they resorted to idle chatter. Once the meal had been ordered and they had a glass of wine in their hands, real conversation could begin. Sir Marcus sat back complacently.

‘Everything seems to be falling into place,’ he said.

‘We do still have one fly in the ointment.’

‘Strictly speaking, there are two of them – the Skillen brothers.’

‘They’ve no right to trespass on private property,’ said Edmund Mellanby. ‘One of them had the audacity to come to Nottingham on the expectation that we’d welcome him with open arms. I soon relieved Peter Skillen of that delusion.’

‘His brother, as you saw, had the gall to pop up in front of me in the House of Commons. One has to give him credit for tenacity. It was the second time he’d accosted me and I made it quite clear that there would not be a third.’

Mellanby tasted his drink and indicated his approval with a nod.

‘What about my situation?’ he asked.

‘Well, it is a little tricky, to be honest.’

‘Politicians have crossed the floor before.’

‘Indeed, they have. On many issues there’s very little to divide the Tories from the Whigs. But your father was above party. He frequently upset his colleagues as much as he upset us. The universal love felt for him in Nottingham was not replicated on any of the benches. Sir Roger rampaged around like a mad elephant.’

‘You don’t need to tell me that. I grew up in his shadow. I saw him practising his speeches and rehearsing his gestures. I watched the effect he could have on a spellbound audience. I could never do that,’ confessed Mellanby, ‘and I’ve no wish to learn how to do it. What I covet is an opportunity to serve my country at what is a very dangerous time.’

‘That’s putting it mildly. The Home Secretary is getting daily reports of unsettling behaviour. There’s a disgusting whiff of revolution in the air.’

‘Then let me stand beside you to suppress it.’

‘With respect, you’re not even a Member of Parliament yet.’

‘It’s only a matter of time, Sir Marcus.’

‘Are you that confident?’

‘Nobody would dare to oppose me for selection and there’s a more than adequate majority. Getting into the House of Commons is not the problem. It’s being in a party of government.’