Having always known how badly educated all the Waleses were, May was more amused than shocked by his response. ‘No,’ she said, looking forward to all the things she was going to open his eyes to. ‘Florence is wonderful. I’d like for us to go there together.’

‘It would be nice to do so on our honeymoon, but I’m afraid there’s no chance. The powers-that-be have decreed our honeymoon destination to be Sandringham.’

It was a disappointment, but not an unexpected one. Royal honeymoons were always spent in one or other of the many royal palaces, or in the stately home of a friend. When her parents had married, her mother’s friend, Lady Alford, had made her family home, Ashridge, available to them for their honeymoon. Eddy’s parents had spent their honeymoon at Osborne House. That she and Eddy would be spending their honeymoon at Sandringham – although hopefully not when the rest of the family were in residence – wasn’t much of a surprise. The word ‘honeymoon’ had, though, rendered her speechless with embarrassment.

Aware of it, knowing the reason for it and feeling more than a little embarrassed about it himself, Eddy said, after the silence between them had stretched for a full minute, ‘The honeymoon could be a little tricky, May, seeing as how we’ve only held hands a couple of times and shared one kiss. The extraordinary thing is, though, that I feel completely at ease with you, and I hope you are beginning to feel at ease with me.’

‘I am.’ Her throat was suddenly dry.

He cleared his throat. ‘During the year when Hélène and I were struggling to get permission to marry, opportunities to be alone together without a chaperone being present were few and far between, and it was Looloo and Fife who were our salvation. They regularly invited us to Sheen Lodge and, as a married woman, Looloo took on the role of chaperone and did so in a way that discreetly gave us time together alone.’

He stopped walking, giving her his slow, heart-stopping smile. ‘Looloo and Fife don’t look like a couple of romantics, but they are, and I think it would be a good idea if they were to offer some hospitality again, don’t you?’

Blushing furiously, May nodded in agreement and this time, when Eddy lowered his head to hers, his kiss wasn’t to seal their engagement; it was simply because it seemed a most natural and pleasant thing to do.

Shortly after May’s return to White Lodge, a messenger arrived from Windsor with news of the wedding date.