Judy tucked the key into her reticule. ‘Wouldn’t I? Anyway, I’m starving. Do you think we could get something to eat?’

He took her free hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. ‘We’ll go to the dining room before these people descend upon it like locusts. Then we’ll talk about where I’m to rest my head tonight.’ He led her through the crowd, heading for the elegant sweep of a staircase that led to the first-floor dining room, where by a stroke of luck they were shown to a recently vacated table. The flustered waiter apologised for the fact that the cloth had not been changed, but Rob assured him there was no need to worry and they understood the situation. The waiter, who was perspiring freely, hurried off to get the bottle of wine that Rob ordered and to bring them the menu.

Judy sat back in her chair. ‘This is getting to be a habit, Rob Dorning.’

‘I don’t recall bringing you here before?’

She giggled in spite of her attempt to be serious. ‘You might have brought another lady here, but not me. In Maldon we were caught out by snow, and now we’re stuck here in London because of a peasouper fog.’

‘It’s quite delightful having your company for longer than intended, but I promise you I didn’t order the bad weather on either occasion.’

She smiled. ‘You do realise how this is going to look when we get home, don’t you? We’ll be the talk of the village, yet again.’

‘Then you’ll just have to marry me, won’t you, Judy?’

She eyed him cautiously. ‘You need to be careful, Rob. A joke like that could backfire on you. I might accept.’

‘Would that be so terrible?’

She was prevented from answering by the sudden appearance of the agitated waiter, who had brought the wine that Rob ordered, and the menus, which he dropped on the floor and had to scramble around under the table to pick up. Having given them one each, he opened the wine and spilled some of it as he poured a little for Rob to sample. His hands shook as he filled their glasses.

‘I beg your pardon, sir. I’m so sorry, but it’s chaos in the kitchen, and people are queuing to get into the dining room. I’ve never seen it so busy.’

‘It’s all right,’ Rob said easily. ‘Don’t worry. We’re not in a hurry. We’re going nowhere until the fog clears.’

The waiter backed away and Rob handed Judy a menu. ‘Heaven knows what he’ll do with the food. I half expect it to be delivered straight to my lap.’

Judy was still chuckling when the waiter reappeared, only this time he was not alone. ‘Sir, I beg your pardon, but this gentleman says he knows you, and he insisted on speaking to you.’

Judy looked up and saw Henry Parsons hovering behind the waiter.

‘I do hope you don’t mind this imposition, but my wife is terribly hungry, and the queue is halfway down the staircase. I saw you through the glass door, and I just wonder if we might share your table?’