With Maudie’s attention being taken up by Frank, and with May staring at the Halma board without giving any indication of actually seeing it, Toria took the opportunity to hop-jump her checker four squares across the board.

‘Mossy would make a nice sister-in-law,’ Looloo said. ‘I wonder if she is on Granny Queen’s list? I like Mossy.’

Mossy was fourteen-year-old Margaret of Prussia, Willy’s youngest sister and, unlike Toria, Looloo and Maudie, not a member of the family with whom May had ever spent time.

‘Not Mossy, when her sister Moretta is at least five years older and still not spoken for.’ Maudie was trying to keep her attention on the Halma board and the conversation, but it was difficult when she was so aware of Frank looking at her with a very lustful expression in his eyes.

General speculation followed, concerning who else might be on their grandmother’s list of prospective brides for Eddy. Aware that Doomsday could come and go before her name appeared on the list, and that it had certainly never entered Toria, Looloo or Maudie’s head to mention her as a possible bridal candidate, May gritted her teeth and soldiered on with the game.

The rain that had been moderate a little while ago was now heavy and was making so much noise against the windows that, even though the drawing room was at the front of the house, none of them heard the clatter of a carriage drawing up to the front portico.

When, a few minutes later, the drawing-room door opened and Eddy walked in, his sisters sprang to their feet and rushed to greet him.

‘Darling Eddy! Why didn’t you let us know you were going to be home today?’ Toria rarely showed delight at anything, but her face shone with happiness at his unexpected arrival.

Looloo hugged him as if he was Georgie, returning home after a year at sea.

Maudie tucked her hand eagerly through his arm. ‘Have you got unexpected leave, Eddy dear, or have you gone absent without leave?’

‘The latter, I hope,’ Frank said teasingly, nearly as pleased to see Eddy as his sisters were, but disappointed that Eddy was not in his distinctive gold-braided Hussar’s uniform. He tossed his copy of Horse & Hound to one side. At least now Eddy was here, he would be able to talk horseracing with him, which would be a welcome change from listening to the girls’ inane chatter about which German princess was destined to be their future sister-in-law.

‘Did you strike it lucky with Willie Hamilton’s horse at Newmarket last week?’ he asked, knowing that if they talked about horseracing, the six-year age difference between the two of them would disappear.

Eddy disentangled himself from Looloo’s exuberant embrace. ‘No, I backed Sun Dawn, not Miss Jummy.’