And on that deflating note, she excused herself from the table and went to bed.

At breakfast next morning she was greeted by the news that Maximilian of Baden’s visit to London had been swiftly curtailed, as a close relative had died and he was, by now, already on his way back to Germany.

‘And according to your Uncle Christian, who was with Max when he received the news, he left unfinished business behind him,’ her father said, a meaningful tone in his voice. ‘In two weeks’ time, Liebling, he could well be back.’

May felt neither relief nor disappointment, but she did wish that, when talking to Aunt Queen about Florence, she had told her how much she would like to live there. As she wrote in her next letter to Alicky:

But I just didn’t have the nerve, not when Aunt Queen had given lots of hints that my reason for being at Balmoral was so she could assess my suitability for whatever matchmaking plan she may be hatching. As it is, I have decided I have no wish to be party to an arranged marriage, for so few of them ever end happily.

A little while later she began another letter, this time to Belinda Light, telling her of how she was thinking of returning to Florence with a chaperone-companion. She also asked if there was any likelihood of Belinda’s aunt being able to make I Cedri available to her, if she was to do so, and she added:

Please tell your aunt that all this is in the strictest confidence, for as yet no one but you and Dolly is aware of my plans.

For the next couple of weeks, acting as her mother’s lady-in-waiting and secretary, May was grateful to be kept so busy. There was no reply from Belinda, but it was too soon to reasonably expect one. Neither was there any gossip to indicate Max of Baden was about to return to England and attend to what Christian had described as his ‘unfinished business’.

What that unfinished business was no longer interested May, for she had made up her mind that if Max ever did propose to her, she was going to treat his proposal in exactly the same way as she had treated Prince Ernst’s proposal. She was not going to accept it. How could she, when she felt about Eddy as she did? Her other resolution was that once the coming new year got into its stride, she was going to tell her parents what her plans were and, despite the avalanche of objections she knew she would meet, she was determined to go ahead with them.

Alicky’s reply to her letter came quickly:

Dear Kindred Spirit,