Equally he knew that they looked up to him and accepted his domination and that no woman had yet ever wanted him to be anything but masterful both to her and to everybody else.

*

The following morning after the party at Buckingham Palace, the Duke rose early as he always did and rode in Hyde Park.

There were far more men riders than women and he wondered if it would have been easier for Aline to have met him there to tell him her secret, if that was what it was.

Then he remembered that she would not ride alone as it would be inconceivable for her to appear without her husband or a groom in attendance.

After breakfast in his house in Park Lane, the Duke dealt with a number of letters that his secretary had for him to sign.

He then attended a meeting of the Masters of Foxhounds, which was taking place in the house of the Duke of Beaufort.

This kept him busy until luncheon time and then, instead of returning home, he ate at White’s Club and listened to the latest gossip of its members who always had something to impart which no one else had heard before.

The Duke received several invitations for different ways of spending his afternoon.

But because he knew he would have to be at Langstone House at half-past four he first went to Lord’s Cricket Ground to sit in the pavilion and watch a game of cricket before finally he drove to Grosvenor Square.

He arrived at Langstone House only ten minutes later than he knew Aline would be expecting him.

The Countess had been pacing the room wondering frantically whether, because what she wanted was against his principles or rather one of the rules he made for himself, he would turn her down.

One thing about the Duke which women always found infuriating was that they could never be sure that he would do what was expected of him.

He was a law unto himself when it came to his own interests.

Aline Langstone knew that, if he chose to think it was a mistake for her to invite him to tea, he would not hesitate to leave her waiting for him while without making any explanation he did something else.

When she thought of how other men crawled on their knees for her favours, she found this an exasperating trait in the Duke.

And yet regrettably it made her love him all the more.

She knew, however angry she might be, he would only have to touch her for her to melt into his arms and find her heart beating against his so that it would be impossible to think of anything but her need of him as a man.

“Heavens knows why he is different from every other man I have ever met!” she exclaimed.

She stopped in front of one of the mirrors to look at her reflection and know that without doubt she was the loveliest woman in the whole of the Social world.