Becket sighed. ‘Let’s just hope they see sense.’

An hour later, Harry went to his office in Buckingham Palace Road. His secretary, Ailsa Bridge, was typing busily. The window behind her was wide open, but the air still smelled of peppermints. Harry believed his secretary was fond of peppermints, not realizing that Ailsa was fond of gin and drank peppermint cordial to disguise the smell.

‘How are things?’ he asked.

‘Various cases have come in. The most immediate is from Mrs Barrington-Bruce. She will be wearing her diamonds tonight and fears jewel thieves, and wants you to be on duty at her ball.’

‘I’ll cancel that one. I’m escorting my fiancée and I do not think she would he pleased if I were there in the capacity of policeman. I will phone Mrs Barrington-Bruce shortly.’ Harry went into his inner office and phoned Rose, only to be told that she was taking tea at Mrs Barrington-Bruce’s. He phoned Mrs Barrington-Bruce’s residence and asked the butler if he might speak to Lady Rose Summer.

Rose’s heart gave a jolt when she heard his voice on the phone. ‘I just wanted to let you know that I shall be escorting you this evening,’ said Harry.

Her voice sounded cool and distant. ‘Alas, you are too late. I have already asked Sir Peter Petrey to escort me. How was I to know that you might remember at the last minute to honour our arrangement?’

‘Look here –’

‘Goodbye.’

Harry glared at the phone. How dare she? He phoned again and this time asked for Mrs Barrington-Bruce and said he would be there to guard her jewels.

Mrs Barrington-Bruce was an indefatigable hostess. Because her entertainments were always lavish, she could attract the cream of society, people who would not normally take the trouble to travel as far as Kensington.

Daisy was becoming increasingly depressed. On the journey there, Rose had confided her worries about Dolly, saying that she thought the girl had some deep sorrow and was not just worried about the rules of society. Peter, an inveterate gossip, encouraged Rose to talk on and on about Dolly. Daisy was really beginning to fear that Rose was considering Peter as a marriage partner and furthermore she was jealous of Dolly. Somehow Daisy felt the class lines were so rigid that she could never be a real friend to Rose, whereas Dolly, who was acceptable in the eyes of society, had all the advantages.

Although hailed as a beauty, Rose, since her engagement, was no longer in such demand, and to her fury she had to sit out a whole three dances while watching her fiancé prowling around the place. She did not know he was working and assumed he was deliberately snubbing her. Her anger was so great that when Peter came up for his second dance she flirted outrageously, and the shrewd Peter, who knew exactly why she was doing it, played up to her.

Harry was furious. How dare she show him up like this? Mrs Barrington-Bruce approached him. ‘I think you should dance with your fiancée,’ she said severely. ‘People do not know you are working for me and it looks as if you are deliberately cutting her dead.’