She was not to be persuaded. ‘Well, it doesn’t matter anyway, since you are going to Venice,’ she said coldly. ‘Perhaps my lady won’t want to come with you to Venice. Perhaps we’ll go at once to Budapest and leave you, then you can doubt someone else.’

‘Ah no,’ he said quickly, putting his hand in hers to swing her gently round. ‘Of course it would matter. Wherever we were going. But you must come with us to Venice. You can get to Budapest from Venice as easily as from here. And besides, the lord in the hood is giving us money to set up a house in Venice. You would like to do that. We shall set out our stall as a prosperous family. Your lady can live as she should, as a lady in a beautiful palace with lovely clothes for a little while. We can all get a bath in hot water – think of that! You can buy some lovely clothes. Perhaps we shall make a fortune. Perhaps you will like Venice.’

‘It hardly matters what I like,’ she said irritably. ‘It’s only ever what she likes.’

‘I know. But you’ll make friends again,’ he counselled gently.

‘What do you mean?’

‘You’ll make up your quarrel.’

‘We haven’t quarrelled. What do you think we are? We’re not stupid girls to have a quarrel over nothing. We have never quarrelled in all our lives. You don‘t begin to understand us. You don’t have any idea about me.’

‘He’s a handsome young man,’ Freize said gently, showing no sign of his amusement at her indignation. ‘He’s bound to cause a bit of a yowling in the cat basket. Bound to set the little kittens scratching at each other.’

He nearly laughed out loud to see her chin come up and her temper flare in her dark eyes. But then he admired how she caught herself, and acknowledged the truth of what he was saying.

‘Well, we’ve never quarrelled before,’ she explained.

‘The two of you were never on your own with a handsome young man before,’ he returned. ‘There was no real cause.’

She giggled. ‘You make us sound rather . . . ordinary.’

‘Little cross hens in a hen house,’ he said comfortably. ‘Very, very ordinary. But at least you have me to fall back on.’

‘When would I fall back on you?’

‘When he prefers her to you. When he makes his choice; if it’s not you. When you are down to the bottom of the barrel. And have to scrape.’

Again he saw her colour rise. But she managed to laugh. Ah, but you swore loyalty to her already. I’m not such a fool that I don’t know that everyone always prefers her to me. Everyone always will.’