Where you, unwanted guest, should stay until Lucas gets home, thought Rupert cynically. But he showed no sign of his thoughts in the smile with which he greeted this suggestion, simply saying, ‘Thank you, madame.’

Suzanne reached for the bell cord beside her and Aristide appeared at the door.

‘Ah, Aristide, please show Monsieur Chalfont to his room, and show every attention to our honoured guest.’

Rupert had to smile at her obvious lack of sincerity, but he thanked her again and followed the footman out of the room.

Suzanne sank back down in her chair with relief. She had not wanted this supposed friend of Lucas’s to intrude on the wedding, but at least he seemed presentable enough. Good-looking in an English sort of way, with deep-set dark brown eyes, determined chin and a lazy smile. She had been relieved when he had answered her in perfect French – at least there would be no difficulty in communication. She had to admit Lucas had been right, Rupert Chalfont did have a certain charm, which brought her thoughts at once to her younger daughter. The elder, Diane, was already safely married to Baptiste Marelle and would be in no danger from the English guest’s easy manner, but Lucie, at only sixteen, was of an impressionable age. She must ensure that Lucie did not have her head turned by this unknown Englishman with the good looks and the lazy smile. Immediately her mind turned to her dinner table for that night and she began rearranging the seating plan so that Rupert Chalfont would be seated well away from Lucie.

Had he known of them, Rupert might have smiled at his hostess’s worries after his earlier thoughts about Lucas having a sister, but he did not. He followed Aristide up the gracefully curving staircase to the floor above, then along a landing to another corridor that intersected it. A second flight of stairs led them upward to the next storey; not the servants’ floor, but not the main guestroom floor either. Here, the footman opened a door and stood aside for Rupert to pass into a guest bedroom, where his trunk was already waiting for him. It was not a large room, but well furnished with all that he could need for a short stay.

‘Monsieur will find the bathroom at the far end of the corridor,’ intoned Aristide. He clearly knew the status of this unexpected guest and though Gaspard had assigned him to look after him, he had little hope of a gratuity. In this, however, he was wrong.

‘Aristide, is it?’ Rupert asked in fluent French. He reached into the pocket of his coat and extracted a guinea. ‘English money, I’m afraid,’ he said, ‘but I’m sure you’ll be able to find a use for it?’ He gave the footman a quizzical smile and saw the young man’s eyes gleam.

‘Fair enough, Aristide, but I shall expect something in return. I don’t know anyone in the family except for Monsieur Lucas, so perhaps you can enlighten me?’