“Apparently Ahmadi had just left her. I am not going to spoil your luncheon by telling you the state that she was in. All I will say that is the man is a filthy lecher and a barbarian.”

“This traffic in children is simply disgraceful!” Lord Yarmouth stormed. “I cannot think why one of you chaps do not ask a question about it in the House of Lords.”

“I have been thinking of doing so for some time,” Lord Alvanley said.

“And when you do, I will support you,” Lord Dorrington added quietly.

“Is there not something we can do about this Eastern chap?” Lord Worcester asked. “This is not the first unpleasant thing I have learnt about him.”

“I have only met the fellow once,” Lord Alvanley said. “He seemed over-decorated and over-suave to me. What do you think, Brummel?”

“He offered about a month ago,” Beau Brummel answered, “to give a dinner party for me at his Embassy.”

“Did you accept?” Lord Dorrington asked.

“But of course!” Beau Brummel replied. “I said to him, ‘it is most kind of you, Your Highness. Let me know what day you are leaving London and we can arrange the party for the following night’.”

There was a burst of laughter at this. All the gentlemen at the table knew only too well how completely and effectively Beau Brummel could set down an impertinence.

Lord Dorrington looked at his watch.

“I must leave you,” he said. “I will see you later, Worcester, at the Pugilist Club.”

“I am not sparring with you, Dorrington,” Lord Worcester replied. “It’s too damned fatiguing. But I will come and watch you give some other poor devil a miserable time.”

“It’s a pity it cannot be the Prince,” Lord Alvanley said. “I would like to see him take one of your famous uppercuts.”

Lord Dorrington merely smiled. His friends knew that he could be a formidable opponent in the boxing ring.

A large number of the younger bucks were members of the Club at number 13 Bond Street, which was kept by Gentleman Jackson.

Jackson had been the champion bare fist boxer of England until Daniel Mendoza, a small pugnacious little Jew without much presence, had defeated him in 1787.

Daniel Mendoza had joined him in the foundation of the Bond Street Club and they had made an outstanding success of it.

Lord Dorrington was one of Gentleman Jackson’s star pupils, but, because he was so proficient, he was finding it more and more difficult to find sparring partners.

As Lord Dorrington walked from the dining room, having said goodbye to Beau Brummel and his other friends. Lord Alvanley followed him into the hall.

“Listen, Alvanley,” Lord Dorrington said, “do me a favour. Repeat the conversation we have just had about that outsider Ahmadi next time you go to Carlton House,”

Lord Alvanley raised his eyebrows.

“Any particular reason for wishing Prinny to know of it?’’ he enquired.