Hélène stared at him. ‘You went to him without ascertaining my wishes on the matter?’

Simon smiled at that. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘you can’t have it both ways, you know. You say I must apply to him first and when I say I have, you tell me that I should have asked you first.’

‘It’s all too sudden,’ Hélène told him firmly. ‘I have no thought of marriage at present, to you or anyone else.’

‘My dearest girl,’ he said, ‘the idea of our marriage is new to you and I understand that, but you must understand that it has been near to my heart for some time. I’m offering you my hand, my heart, my home, and dearest girl, when you have thought about how happy we could be together, I hope you will accept my proposal and become my bride.’

Hélène moved across the room and pulled the bell. ‘I’m honoured by your proposal, Simon,’ she said, ‘but it is so unexpected that I cannot give you an answer.’

‘At least you haven’t refused,’ Simon said. ‘So I can live in hope. Perhaps I may call on you again very soon.’

‘Perhaps,’ she agreed, wishing he would go. She felt trapped with him there in the room and was relieved when Didier came in answer to the bell. The relief showed in her voice as she said, ‘Didier, Monsieur Barnier is just leaving; please will you show him out?’

‘Thank you for your time, mademoiselle,’ Simon said formally. ‘I look forward to seeing you again soon.’

When he had gone and she had watched him ride away down the drive, Hélène sank back into her chair, exhausted. Why had Simon Barnier come to propose to her? Did he really want to marry her? He knew perfectly well that she was… had been… in love with Rupert and had thought she was going to marry him. She had seen the two men together on several occasions and knew that neither liked nor trusted the other. Simon had clearly decided that he had been right not to trust Rupert and was trying to take advantage of his disappearance. Rupert would have hated to know that his place might be taken by Simon Barnier. But that didn’t matter now. Rupert hadn’t any rights in her life any more. They all knew that Rupert wasn’t coming back.

When she considered the past weeks, she realised that Simon had been demonstrating a decided partiality for her company. Until now she had accepted it without thought as she had struggled to appear in public, apparently unconcerned about her broken engagement. Now his attentions took on an entirely different meaning. He was serious, serious enough to have asked her father’s permission, and for Papa to have given it. She needed to talk to Papa.

With a deep sigh, she heaved herself out of the chair and went in search of her father. When she discovered he was out of the house, she went and tapped on the door of her mother’s parlour.