“She is very proud of it, isn’t she?” Carina said.

“There’s proud and proud,” Mrs. Barnstaple replied cryptically, “but her Ladyship won’t have anything changed. Although she lies in bed and never goes downstairs, I swear she would know if I as much as moved an ashtray from one table to another.”

“The candles are very pretty,” Carina commented, “but I would be frightened of fire.”

“I don’t believe they are as dangerous as these oil lamps,” Mrs. Barnstaple replied. “I have told the footmen over and over again to be careful in handling them, but there, what I say goes in one ear and out the other.”

Mrs. Barnstaple was off again and Carina felt that it was time to change the subject.

“I am wondering if there are some lesson books that the Prince and I can use?” she asked.

“There’s those what you see on the shelf,” Mrs. Barnstaple replied before she hustled away.

Carina felt the information was not very helpful. Early in the day she had found a book with children’s pictures in it. She showed them to Dipa, trying to tell him a story about them.

As she did so, she began to plan what lessons she would give him.

At the moment he could neither read nor write and she felt that her task was going to be a formidable one. It was obvious even on the small acquaintance she had with him that he was like a piece of quicksilver, bored very easily, rushing like a butterfly from flower to flower and making no effort to be stable and serious about anything.

“Look, Dipa, a horse,” she said, pointing to a picture in the book. “Isn’t that pretty? A big horse like your father was riding yesterday.”

Dipa glanced at it perfunctorily, but he was not interested because the picture was not in colour. He turned over several pages and then pushed the book away.

“Soldiers,” he said firmly, gathering the tin soldiers that were lying all over the floor into his arms.

“It is time to put them away,” Carina said, but Dipa had no intention of parting with his toys.

He screamed when Carina tried to take them away and hid them from her under the chairs.

Tonight there had been another scene when she put him to bed because he wanted his soldiers in bed with him. Finally Carina gave in and let him go to sleep with them beside him, even though she was certain that he would lie on them during the night and find them most uncomfortable.

She kissed him good night, but he paid little attention to her, concentrating on his soldiers, and when he thought that she was not looking slipping two of them down the front of his nightshirt.