He was well aware that the Queen could, as her Ladies-in-Waiting knew only too well, if they put a foot wrong, expel them from Court for six months at a time or if the crime was a serious one, more or less exile them for life.

“There must be another way out,” he remarked aloud.

“If there is, I cannot think of it.”

There was a long silence before he said,

“You say this girl is arriving tomorrow. Suppose she refuses to marry me?”

Aline laughed.

“Is it likely she will do that? Besides, George and I will tell her how extremely fortunate she is and, as she has no money, she must either do as we say or starve!”

“When it comes to getting your own way, I don’t think there is much to choose between you and the Queen!”

“You must just ask yourself which you prefer as a close relationship.”

Aline accentuated the word ‘close’ and, as she looked at the Duke and their eyes met, they were both aware of what the other was feeling.

“You do see, dearest,” she said in little more than a whisper, “that it would be so easy for us to see each other and even George would be unable to prevent it.”

She paused before she added,

“We could stay for weekends at each other’s houses and, as Honora has no other friends in London, she will obviously want us to be continually with you at Tynemouth House.”

“That is the one good idea in the whole box of tricks!” the Duke said savagely.

“And a very important one,” Aline added softly.

The Duke rose to his feet and she wondered if he was about to leave.

But he walked across the room and locked the door, then put his hands out and pulled her from the sofa into his arms.

He was kissing her again, kissing her until it was impossible to be aware of anything but the fire burning through them both with a rising desire that was both a pleasure and a pain.

Only as they clung closer and closer did the Duke think vaguely at the back of his mind that he was paying a very high price for the loss of his freedom.

CHAPTER TWO

Honora, arriving in London with three other girls from her school and a nun in attendance, felt herself growing more and more apprehensive.

Having been away for over two years in Florence with little contact with her uncle and aunt, she was intelligent enough to realise that they had no particular wish for her to return to England.

In fact she had written the previous year saying that now she was approaching eighteen the school did not wish her to stay.

The only reply was a letter from her uncle’s secretary to say they were communicating with the Mother Superior to the effect that she was to remain there for another two terms.

It had been embarrassing not only to be the oldest girl in the school but also the cleverest.