“So what favor can I do you?” Louisa asked, eyes bright with curiosity. She listened as Petra explained, her eyes widening, laughter bubbling as Petra finished. “Oh, that’s an outrageous but wonderful idea, Petra,” she declared. “But how will your husband take such a lesson? Will it amuse him?”

“I certainly hope so,” Petra said, dipping her spoon again into the surprisingly good soup. “But to be honest I’m taking a bit of a risk. I think, I hope, he’ll see the funny side. But I also want him to understand how important it is.”

“Well, I certainly support that,” Louisa said. “When do you want to do this? I don’t have surgery on Friday afternoons.”

“This Friday then? Unless Guy has something else he has to do.”

“Let me know if he does. Otherwise, four o’clock?”

“Perfect.”

Petra left Louisa half an hour later, having spurned the spotted dick, and went to the lingerie department of Marshall & Snelgrove to recruit her last participant in her plan. Rachel Young, another fellow member of the Union, ran her department in the elegant store with a friendly efficiency that belied the passion with which she held her political beliefs. She was well aware that if her outside work activities became generally known she would be dismissed from her post without references, a bleak prospect for a woman of a certain age.

“Lady Ashton, what can we do for you today?” She came across the floor as soon as she saw Petra step out of the elevator cage.

“I’d like to consult you, Mrs. Young,” Petra said, glancing around. The floor was quiet, customers sparse. “Can we go into a fitting room? It’s rather private.”

“Of course. This way.” The woman led the way to the back of the department and through a curtain. She unlocked the door to a cubicle and stood aside to let Petra precede her.

When they emerged some twenty minutes later, Rachel went straight to a display of corsets, both long and short. “The S-curve is the one we want.” She selected a garment with a slight moue of distaste. “I do dislike selling these, but customers want them. I can hardly keep them in stock.” She held it up. “This should fit you. Do you want to try it now?”

“No, I trust your eye, Rachel.”

“Then I’ll bring it to Berkeley Square at half past three on Friday.”

Satisfied with her afternoon’s work, Petra went directly home. Ordinarily she would have discussed her plotting with Diana and Fenella but she felt somehow that this was strictly between herself and Guy. A purely domestic matter. She didn’t want to expose him to her friends’ judgment, she realized. And they would judge him. It was one thing for a stranger to be critical, but quite another for friends.