‘Did he know the cause of this – um –’ Mr Tweed seemed at a loss for a moment, ‘– this – ailment?’

‘He seemed to, yes.’

‘What did he say?’

It was Elvira who had finally said to Terence what she had guessed to Pauline. Is it something to do with Nicky, Terence darling, that has caused this – illness of yours? At last Terence had answered her: yes.

And Elvira had sighed with relief, now she could see how the story must be told.

So Pauline embarked on that story. ‘At first Mr Blue was not willing to discuss it but at last he said that his first wife whom he had loved dearly had lived for many years in a mental hospital. Although Mr Blue had supported her financially since the early sixties he was never allowed to see her, the psychiatrists at the hospital had advised him that his presence was actually a danger to her. In the spring of this year she had on the best advice of psychiatrists been released into – community care I believe it is called – but the doctors had specifically got in touch with Mr Blue and asked him, for her sake, not to try to see her, even now, even more than thirty years later. This – this had deeply disturbed Mr Blue, who – or so it seemed to me – felt some guilt about her illness although he did not – elucidate on this; he wanted so much to see her and his – trouble – had begun at this time.’

‘His impotence?’

‘His impotence yes.’

Terence Blue stared at the floor.

‘Had he seen a doctor about this complaint?’

‘He said – he said that he felt very embarrassed, that he had gone and looked up – the complaint – in the library and had been able to find almost nothing about it, as if it didn’t really exist, except in his mind. His – reputation is built upon his sex appeal, everybody knows that. He couldn’t face going to a doctor.’

‘And why are you telling the whole world about it in that case? Isn’t this revelation damaging to his career?’