Couple? Happiness? Then – oh – may the Good Lord protect her! Fanny had quite settled on lunacy as her preferred explanation. After all, one had recourse to doctors and treatments. But love – especially that of the wild and romantic variety … Here, love was the much greater evil. Cold dread ran through her veins.

Her father pressed on. ‘We in Godmersham – Ned’s side, so to speak – find the Hatch view a little short-sighted and hard to comprehend. If you will indulge me for a moment, let us examine it, minutely. In Ned’ – he pointed to a large ginger jar on the side table, most likely Ming – ‘we have a good-looking gentleman from an impeccable family, heir to an excellent estate – who, up to this instance, has charmed every parent in every fine drawing room up and down this great land.’

Fanny could hardly quarrel with that. She adored her dear brother and took great pride in her own, happy heritage; some of the things her husband had said last evening – well, she had found them rather hurtful. Of course, she had said nothing then, and she would say nothing now.

In the uncomfortable silence, her father helped himself to a second muffin, dabbed with a napkin, and then resumed.

‘And in Mary Dorothea’ – signalling a fruit dish of rich coloured glass; possibly Venetian – ‘we have a good-looking lady from a … a … good family, brought up to live as the chatelaine of an excellent estate.’

Fanny bridled. That was hardly a generous comparison. She had no memory of any such slight when her father was marrying her off to the Knatchbulls. Had she really been such a poor, desperate case? Once again, her feelings were hurt.

‘I must say, were they characters in a novel by your dear Aunt Jane … In fact, no! Your Aunt Jane would not have troubled herself to invent such a couple. For so impossible is it to think of any objection that they would be wed by page two and that would be that.’

Now, argue she must. This nonsense had to be stopped. ‘If I may, Papa, you seem to be forgetting one rather salient point. And that is there is no relationship between them to speak of! Ned and Mary may have seen each other about the place, certainly. Indeed, as you know, he has stayed with me a lot, of late.’ Or had he not been there for Fanny at all? It could not be true! She would not allow it! ‘However, they have shared no conversation, spent no hours alone … They are effectively strangers!’

Yet even as she spoke so very emphatically, Fanny could quite see the reverse might be true. It had been a difficult few months. Had she not been closeted away with her own darling baby? Had one’s hands not been unusually full?