Queen Victoria, who beneath all her sternness had a soft heart and who was also, although she tried to hide it, a great romantic, said in a different, far gentler voice, ‘I would not willingly see you in an unhappy marriage, Eddy dear, but all through your life you are going to be called upon to do your duty, where the good of the country is concerned, and your decision now is, I think, a case in point. Mossy would not, as you well know, have been my first choice as a future Queen of England and Empress of India, for in my opinion she does not have the necessary bearing or gravitas. However, as Alicky has so foolishly refused the highest position there is, in my estimation Mossy is the second-best choice possible, for she is very amiable, half-English and has a great love for England.’

Seeing a window of hope in his grandmother’s altered tone of voice, and before she abandoned her new mellow attitude, Eddy said swiftly, ‘Will you allow me a few more months of bachelorhood, Grandmama? Perhaps until my birthday in January?’

Queen Victoria regarded him fondly. Eddy was a good-looking, nice-mannered young man and, unlike his much smaller, homely, far more robust younger brother, reminded her very much of her late beloved Albert. This last fact was reason enough for her to cut him a little slack.

‘Until January,’ she said, seeing relief flood through him. ‘And then, Eddy, there will be an official engagement announcement.’

All three of his sisters rushed up to Eddy, the minute he entered the main drawing room at Marlborough House.

‘What did Granny Queen say?’ Toria demanded even before he’d sat down. ‘Has she made you fix a wedding date with Mossy?’

‘Because we do hope she hasn’t,’ Maudie said. ‘We’ve changed our minds about wanting you to marry Mossy.’

Eddy ejected one of their mother’s small dogs from a comfortably cushioned chair. Sitting down, he said, ‘Yes and no. I’m going to have to marry Mossy, but Granny has agreed I can delay proposing and making it official until my birthday, which – as it is only eight months away – is a reprieve, but not much of one.’

‘And so if, in the next eight months, you fall in love with someone you do want to marry – and who is suitably royal, of course – then you can marry her?’ Looloo looked ecstatic.

Eddy couldn’t for the life of him think why.

He said patiently, ‘The whole point of the jam I’m in, Looloo, is that there is no one else suitable. Although Granny didn’t mention them, there are apparently two Strelitz princesses of the right age, but Louis of Battenberg tells me they are not being considered, as neither of them is quite right in the head.’