‘Here.’ He stopped. ‘This one’s empty.’

Marion hesitated before stepping up into the train. ‘Thank you, George. It’s been lovely to see you.’

He was standing very still, looking at her intently. Crawfie held her hand out to take his, but his hands remained in his pockets.

‘Marion, I never did tell you what I wanted to say to you on New Year’s Eve.’

Marion didn’t move, hearing the blood thunder in her ears. Was this it?

He shuffled his feet, coughed and spoke again. ‘I realize I am well over ten years older than you, but, well, my respect for you is enormous. I have missed you very much and I …’

She tried to say something, but he stopped her.

‘Please let me say what I should have said a long time ago. I have done a lot of thinking since New Year’s Eve, and I realize I don’t want you to slip through my fingers and into somebody else’s arms.’

‘George—’

‘Marion, would you make me the happiest of men and become my wife?’

‘George—’ Tears swam in her eyes and her voice shook as she answered. ‘Yes. Yes please.’

They embraced as last-minute commuters stepped around them to board the train, and Marion felt her heart swell. Releasing her, George helped her up the step and onto the train.

‘The next time I see you, I will have an engagement ring,’ he promised.

‘When will I see you again?’ she asked.

‘I shall be back in London next month. I shall take you out for your birthday and we can celebrate our engagement.’

A guard walked past and slammed the door between them shut.

Marion pulled the window down. ‘George, I can’t take it all in, but you have made so happy. Thank you.’

‘No, Marion, thank you.’

The train pulled away with a jolt, separating the two lovers for four long weeks.

‘Hello, Crawfie. May I introduce you to Joan, my wife.’ Tommy indicated the clearly well-bred woman by his side.

Joan smiled. ‘My husband tells me you are working wonders with the Princesses.’

‘She is,’ said Tommy, ‘Even though their mother doesn’t see the value in educating them. After all, she had little or no education herself. A young Scottish girl from a good family only needed to know how to be gay and beautiful.’

Crawfie shook her head. ‘You are being very unfair. The Queen is a wonderful mother.’

‘I don’t doubt it,’ Tommy said, ‘but is it not Queen Mary, their grandmother, who takes the most interest in your teaching?’

‘Well, yes,’ Crawfie conceded, ‘but only because she has the time so to do.’

Tommy tapped her wrist with his elegant fingers. ‘Now you are making excuses for her.’ With a smile, he turned his attention to the garden. ‘Everything looks very much better than when I was last here. Not quite so much of the feel of a municipal garden about it, all those serried rows of stiff plants, red, white and blue.’