Lord Dorrington was watching her. Now that the fuzz of curls had gone, he could see that she had a perfect heart-shaped face with the serene oval brow beloved of the Renaissance painters.

Her eyes, green flecked with grey, were enormous and fringed with dark lashes and the soft sensitive mouth could have served as a model for Greuze.

As Lord Dorrington was still silent, Alyna asked in a low voice,

“Have you heard – anything?”

“Nothing at all,” Lord Dorrington replied. “But I was racing with His Royal Highness all yesterday and the day before and anyway it’s unlikely that your mother would proclaim your disappearance from the house-tops.”

“No indeed,” Alyna agreed, “I am sure that she will keep it secret. But suppose the Prince is looking for me?”

“We can only hope that he discovers it is impossible to find you,” Lord Dorrington remarked in a matter of fact voice.

“I think perhaps we should go back to the house,” Alyna said nervously. “I am sure that Elizabeth will want to see you.”

“When I arrived, she was asleep,” Lord Dorrington explained without moving.

“Oh, I am glad!” Alyna cried. “She gets very tired and, although she adores the children – and who could help it – they are rather exhausting for her at the moment.”

“And do you find them exhausting?” Lord Dorrington enquired.

“I find them adorable.”

“But surely not intelligent enough for such a clever young woman?”

Alyna flushed and then she laughed.

“Now you are being unkind to me. But let me say I find the children’s conversation infinitely more stimulating than that of the young men I have met in Society.”

“I stand rebuked,” Lord Dorrington remarked.

“You know I did not mean that about you,” Alyna protested.

“Are you quite sure?”

She did not answer, but flashed a mischievous glance at him.

After a moment he said,

“Do you realise that this is the first time I have ever seen you laugh? Always before you have been overwhelmingly serious and, shall we say, despondent.”

“I am not ordinarily so tiresome,” Alyna said. “It’s just that you have seen me under – unfortunate circumstances.”

‘Then let’s hope, for the moment at any rate, they will not occur again,” Lord Dorrington said. “And incidentally let me tell you something that may make you feel even happier. I have brought you some clothes.”

“Clothes?” she exclaimed.

“I had the feeling that you might be needing them,” Lord Dorrington replied, “although I am sure that Elizabeth has been delighted to share her wardrobe with you.”

“She has been more than kind and, of course, the gowns I have been borrowing are not ones she could wear herself at the moment.”

“I guessed that,” Lord Dorrington answered. “But I have brought you some new ones, which I think will become you and the colour of your hair.”