“One hopes that Father lives for years, of course,” Nicholas said.

We glanced up as Pirin laughed noisily. “That’s a good one,” he said, slapping his thigh. He was talking to the man who had welcomed us, Count Dragomir, who was not smiling. In fact he looked as if he were in pain.

“Well, I’m turning in,” Lady Middlesex declared, appearing at my side. “We’ve had a long and strenuous day and tomorrow we have to face that pass again. Poor Deer-Harte is already a bundle of nerves.” She looked at me critically. “And you look as if you could do with a good night’s rest too. Come along.” And she took hold of my arm in a firm manner.

Rather than make a fuss I bid my hostess good night and allowed myself to be led away. I entered my room, only to find someone sleeping in my bed. For an awful moment I thought I might have barged into Siegfried’s room again. I tiptoed out again hastily and checked the hallway. I was sure this was my room this time. I went back in. The sleeper was none other than Queenie. I woke her up.

“Sorry, miss, I must have dozed off,” she said. “It was that cold in here I got under the covers.”

“Did you have your dinner?” I asked.

“I didn’t like to leave the room, not quite knowing where I was going,” she said.

“Oh, dear. Let’s see if one of the servants can take you down to the kitchen and get you something now.”

“It’s all right, miss, thank you kindly,” she said. “I think I’d rather just go to bed. I don’t quite fancy foreign food at the moment. It’s all been a bit much in one day.”

I looked at her kindly, thinking how overwhelming it had been for me and then putting myself in her place, straight from a little London backstreet. “Good idea, Queenie. Just help me off with this dress first and hang it up and then you can go. You can find out in the morning where you go to bring up my tea tray.”

She went and I was alone in the room. I climbed into bed and lingered for a while before I dared to turn off the bedside lamp. I had always thought of myself as the daring one in the family. I had allowed my brother and his school friends to lower me into the castle well at home. I had sat up all night on the battlements once to see if my grandfather’s ghost really did play the bagpipes. But this was different. I felt a profound sense of unease. I wished I still had a nanny in the next room. Finally I curled up into a little ball and tried to go to sleep.