‘I would. When I marry Nicky, I definitely want you as one of my bridesmaids. And my marriage to Nicky will be a love match. Ernie says that although Marie-Louise is in love with Aribert, he doesn’t think Aribert is in love with Marie-Louise – and Ernie should know, because Aribert is a close friend of his. Not that Ernie had anything to do with arranging the marriage. It was Kindred Spirit Willy who did the arranging. Marie-Louise’s father and Willy’s wife’s father are brothers, and I think Willy enjoyed trumping Granny Queen in the family matchmaking stakes.’

Because of living so close to Windsor, May and her family didn’t stay at the castle, but they did spend most days there, as her parents wanted to seize every opportunity of meeting up with their German relations. Frank was quite naturally spoken of, but only in the sense of what a pity it was that, because of his language studies abroad, he was unable to attend the wedding. To May’s intense relief, Ernst Gunther wasn’t there, either.

‘Poor Ernst is suffering from ear trouble,’ Marie-Louise’s mother said to May. ‘It’s so disappointing, as I understand he is looking for a wife and this would have been such a wonderful opportunity for him to cast his eyes over any still-unmarried members of the family.’

Eddy was duty-bound to put in an appearance at the activities leading up to the wedding, but at each event, with dark shadows beneath his eyes and looking ill, he arrived as late as possible and left as early as possible, speaking to no one he didn’t absolutely have to speak to, not even May.

Georgie, on the other hand, was in great spirits, constantly at Missy’s side.

‘Missy is sixteen in October,’ Ducky said, seeking May out as she always did at family get-togethers. ‘I’ve never seen anyone so optimistically heading towards calamitous disappointment as Georgie. Even if Missy was interested in him as prospective husband material – which she isn’t – Mama would never agree to her marrying him. She has no high opinion of any of Pa’s side of the family. The only comfort she’s ever taken from marrying into it is that, being the only daughter of a tsar, she outranks so many of Granny Queen’s brood and has jewels even more fabulous than theirs. I think I’m going to shock everyone now by lighting up a cigarette in public. They’re Sobranie Black Russians. Do you want one?’

May had been smoking ever since her father had introduced her to the habit when she’d been eighteen, but she had no intention of smoking in public.

‘No thanks, Ducky,’ she said as Ducky lit up with practised ease. ‘So who is it your mother has eyes on, as a prospective husband for Missy?’