‘Me too,’ said Margaret. ‘Want to see Uncle Bavib.’

Lilibet laughed. ‘It’s David.’

‘Bavib bavib,’ giggled Margaret.

Alah tutted as she went into the bathroom. ‘Little girls should not have big ears to hear things they shouldn’t. Lilibet, get in the bath. Uncle David will not want to see you all dusty and hot, will he?’

Before closing the door on the bath steam, Alah had one last word for Marion. ‘Now, don’t you go getting moony over the Prince. I have enough trouble with Bobo half fainting whenever she gets a glimpse.’

Back in her bedroom, Marion sat on the bed and held her head in her hands. She couldn’t tell if it was the latent migraine, or the idea that her schoolgirl crush, the Prince of Wales, was going to be here, under the same roof as her, that was making her head so painful. She made herself stand up, took off her skirt and blouse, splashed her face in the little sink and lay down on her soft bed, in her underwear. The Prince of Wales would be just downstairs and here she was, feeling dreadful.

Sleep came to her quickly – and just as quickly left.

Bobo was at her door. ‘The Princesses want to say goodnight to Dookie. But he’s in the kitchen, and I can’t go down because Alah needs me up here. Can you bring him up?’

Wearily, Marion got up and pulled on the clothes she’d so recently discarded. She noticed grass stains on the back of her skirt and a streak of dust on her white shirt from playing with Dookie, but she didn’t feel like finding clean clothes. No one would see her. Her errand would take only a couple of minutes.

Creeping downstairs to the softly lit hall, she made her way to the scullery. There she found Dookie, curled on top of a tartan blanket. His eyes opened a little and he managed a small thump of his tail in greeting. ‘Come along, young man. A quick goodnight upstairs and then you can go back to bed. I’m as tired as you are.’

Picking him up, Marion caught sight of herself in the reflection of a cabinet. She seemed pale and her lengthening hair looked untidy. She groaned and made a half promise to go to the hairdressers.

As she returned to the hall, still wincing at the pain in her head, the storm that had been threatening all afternoon broke. The first bolt of lightning blinded her and the immediate bang of thunder that followed shook the floor beneath her feet. Dookie leapt from her arms in fright.

‘Dookie!’ she shouted.

The hall chandelier was suddenly switched on.

The brightness exacerbated the pain of her migraine. Feeling both faint and nauseous, Marion felt for one of the hall chairs to sit down and cover her eyes.

‘What the hell is the dog doing in the hall?’ She recognized the Duke’s voice but a fresh wave of pain hit her and she couldn’t reply.