‘No, my lord, it would not. Particularly as I have to seek her brother’s permission to marry Kitty, and he already thinks ill of me. So, as you can see, I am forced to decline the offer.’

‘A bad business, Wesley,’ Camden said sadly.

‘Yes, my lord.’

‘And it’s about to get worse.’

Arthur’s eyebrows rose questioningly, even as a sick feeling of dread welled up in his guts. But what could be worse than his current predicament?

‘I’ve already informed Captain Pakenham that he is to be replaced. The letter was sent three days ago.’

Arthur lowered his head, and the nausea within briefly made him feel as if he was teetering on the edge of a precipice. Three days ago. Even if it hadn’t been delivered already there was no hope of overtaking the message. More likely Captain Pakenham had fired off a bitter protest to Lord Camden and sent a letter to the other members of his family to denounce the move. Good God, he thought in a panic, it might already have arrived. For a moment Arthur visualised the scene as Kitty opened the letter, read the contents and turned her face for ever away from him. It was too bleak a vision to entertain and he shook it off, and concentrated his thoughts once again.

‘My lord, I most humbly request that you rescind the decision to replace Captain Pakenham with me. Even though I know the damage is already done, I cannot allow other people to think that I was complicit in this matter. I must be able to defend myself against any accusations of dishonourable conduct. You must see that.’

‘Of course I do!’ Lord Camden shouted. ‘What do you take me for, an idiot? Once this gets out I think you’d be lucky if some young man in that family didn’t call you out to eat grass before breakfast.’

‘That’s my fear. If it should be Kitty’s brother . . .’

‘Then you’re damned if you win, and dead if you lose.’

‘Quite.’

‘Blast you and that interfering brother of yours!’ Lord Camden slapped his hand down on his desk. ‘How do you imagine this is going to look for me? First I take the man’s job away from him, to give to someone less than half his age, then I toss it back to him as if I’m teasing a damned hound. It won’t do, sir!’

‘No, my lord.’

For a moment neither spoke as the Lord Lieutenant glared at his aide, and Arthur stood and endured the burden of disapproval, and the dread of the consequences of Richard’s intervention. If only Richard had consulted him first . . .