Was she dividing her time between him and another gentleman? No, it could not be. He had arrived unannounced at her rooms on too many occasions and her always at home and no sign of any other gentleman for it to be even a possibility. And, besides, he would simply not believe it of her, for she was an honest woman, he felt it instinctively, for all that she was conducting this illicit affair with him. Or was that how she considered it? She was curiously difficult to read. And that, he realised, was another reason for his attraction. And his unease.

But still it was galling that she hid some part of herself, hid this appointment, from him.

‘You will have read of the incident at Parliament House last evening?’ he enquired, because she had as yet made no mention of it.

‘I am afraid not,’ she replied. ‘Was there an incident?’

And now, because she had called it an incident, his own word turned back on him, it seemed ridiculous, absurd.

‘A madman stormed the chamber as the Premier hosted a reception and climbed up onto the dais brandishing a pistol. He was swiftly dealt with, but it was cause for a certain amount of alarm among the more skittish of our number.’ And Alasdair smiled to indicate he did not count himself among them.

‘Heavens!’ she replied mildly. ‘Why did this man do such a thing?’

‘His motive remains a mystery. I suspect we shall find out his faculties are impaired and he had no more idea of a motive than any such impaired soul does for any action they undertake.’

‘Perhaps that is so,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘But to prepare such an action and then to undertake it suggests a certain amount of lucidity.’

A frown crossed her face as though the thought troubled her. And had he himself been in any danger? she might have asked. Had he participated in the man’s capture, had he acquitted himself heroically in saving the ladies present or in throwing himself before the Premier or Mr Barton? But she did not ask these questions. Instead, it was the madman and his motivations that troubled her.

Had his wife been there? she might have asked, but she did not. To his recollection she had never once asked about Eleanor and that was entirely proper, though she must, surely, be a little curious?

‘I shall be a good deal engaged with the referendum these next few weeks,’ he said. ‘There are more Federation meetings at which I am to speak.’

Indeed, he had spoken at such a meeting last evening, as she very well knew, though she had not enquired about it. Instead what she said was, ‘They work you very hard, Alasdair. I hope it all proves to be worth it.’