“That is cheating,” Lord Dorrington said accusingly.

But she laughed at him as she bent to kiss the children goodnight and then left him alone with them.

Now, as he held her hand, she thought that he was in fact very much like the Knights Errant she had described so vividly to Rupert and Ivan.

He had saved her not once but twice from drowning herself as she had really intended to do at the ball and from being forced into marriage with the dreadful Prince.

Almost involuntarily her fingers tightened on his.

Then realising that she had done so, she took her hand quickly away.

“Go on smiling, Alyna,” Lord Dorrington said quietly. “It becomes you.”

Then he had driven away in his high-perch phaeton, looking, as he disappeared down the drive, almost like a being from another planet.

*

The following morning Alyna spent a great deal of time in arranging and rearranging her hair.

She tried out various methods all of which fell short of the effect she really desired.

“The trouble is,” Elizabeth said at length, “that you have so much hair that it really looks its best hanging over your shoulders.”

“I should hardly be able to wear it that way on social occasions,” Alyna laughed. “Unless, of course, I start a new fashion.”

Finally, however, they achieved a mode that they both thought very elegant.

“I don’t suppose that Ulric will come and see us again today,” Elizabeth said, “but leave your hair as you have it now. It will be easier to do it the same way tomorrow once you have become used to it. Besides I think that hair is like flowers, it soon begins to arrange itself!”

“I wish I could believe that,” Alyna said, “but this does seem to be the best style we have tried.”

“Put on one of your new afternoon dresses,” Elizabeth suggested.

“They are almost too good to wear,” Alyna protested.

But she did as her hostess suggested and knew that a dress of sprigged muslin trimmed with green ribbons was exceedingly becoming.

She wished that there was a chance of Lord Dorrington seeing it, but she was quite certain that Elizabeth was right and that he would be very unlikely to call on them again today.

Elizabeth was looking tired and Alyna proposed after luncheon that she should lie down on the sofa and that she should take Rupert for a walk.

“I don’t want him to be a bother to you,” Elizabeth answered. “But it would be a godsend to take him out of the nursery. Nanny is busy making clothes for the new baby and he demands so much attention that she finds it impossible to get on with her work.”

“I will talk off some of his energy,” Alyna smiled.

Rupert was delighted with the idea.

“Will you tell me a story?” he asked.

“We will tell one together,” Alyna said. “I will tell you a bit and then you will tell me the next piece.”