‘Just because you and Lady Pirbright were at odds when you were my age?’ Caroline’s cheeks flew spots of high colour, and she no longer attempted to sound reasonable, or calm. ‘How fair is that, Mama? You would blight my life out of an old spite?’

‘There are reasons … things you cannot know, Caroline. If it could be otherwise, I promise you … We will not discuss this further … I cannot …’ With which Lady Elstead stepped back, opened the door and rushed from the room with a rustling of skirts and a sob in her throat, and Caroline sank slowly to the floor, and sat, utterly broken, rocking to and fro.

Henrietta, wondering if there was anything she could have done to prevent this calamity, was yet taken aback to see her aunt so evidently unhappy at prohibiting the match. If she had done so for the reason Henrietta had surmised, she ought more likely to have been defiant. She frowned, and went to put her arms about her cousin Caroline weeping upon the floor.

‘Dearest cousin, oh dear!’

‘It is … too cruel …’ sobbed Caroline. Henrietta had no response, for she agreed with her, totally. She hugged her cousin tightly, murmuring soothing words she knew must do nothing to assist. She was herself made miserable by the thought that her cousin, to whom she had become deeply attached, and Lord Martley, of whom she was fond, were both cast into such depths of distress. There seemed nothing that she could do.

Caroline was distraught. She made it clear that she did not want to go out, could not face company, but Lady Elstead insisted.

‘You cannot hide yourself away, and give cause for gossip.’ She did not add that seclusion would also not provide her with alternative suitors.

It was therefore a very pale and serious Miss Felbridge who accompanied her mama and cousin to the opera, which, ironically, suited Caroline’s mood, since it seemed full of doom-laden love. At the interval Mr Newbold came to their box and it did not take a gentleman of his perspicacity to tell that something was severely amiss. The atmosphere was so heavy with grief that he was confused. If there had been a death within the family the last place the ladies would be was the opera house. Henrietta’s responses were mechanical, and at times she was not attending him. This made matters difficult, since he was keen to ascertain something very important. He had come to a decision, after much soul-searching, and he wanted to make his intentions known to Henrietta before visiting Lord Elstead.