The valet shook his head. ‘He’s not here much, is he, and when he is he doesn’t like “mollycoddling”, as he calls it since he’s been in the army. The most I do is lay his clothes out on his bed.’ This was said with distinct disapproval.

‘Aye, he’s a rum un’ all right.’ The cook shook her head. ‘But a proper gentleman, nevertheless. And clearly the lass has a bit about her. Not that that’d help her if the mistress caught wind of it. All the blue-blooded ladies she’s paraded before the lad – there was that duchess a few years ago, wasn’t there. You remember?’

‘The one with a face like the back end of a tram? Aye, I remember her. More man than woman she was. Went out on the hunt with the menfolk and rode better than any of ’em.’

‘Well, that French countess was lovely, wasn’t she? You all said so.’ The cook never saw much of the main house, not like the butler and the other staff who waited on the family and guests. Cook’s domain was the kitchen and she was happy with that.

‘Aye, she was a cracker.’ The valet stood up. ‘I’d better go and lay out the master’s nightclothes and—’ He stopped as Alexander walked into the kitchen, causing a bit of a fluster with the kitchen maids busy at the sink.

Alexander stopped in front of the cook. ‘Another excellent meal, Cook. We could do with you in the army. Keep them all on their toes.’

The cook dipped her knee, blushing with pleasure. ‘Thank you, sir.’

‘I’m going for a drive to clear my head before bed. A little too much of Father’s good wine, I fear.’

They watched him go out of the door into the yard just as Franklin walked back in. The young master said something and they heard Franklin laugh, and once the footman was in the kitchen and the door was closed, Cook said, ‘What did Mr Alexander just say?’

‘Only that he prefers the cold wind outside rather than the hot air being talked in the dining room.’

The valet clicked his tongue. He was old school and he didn’t approve of what he termed the young master’s over-familiarity at times, but then that was what the army did for you. It wasn’t a profession for gentlemen like Mr Alexander, mixing with all sorts. He knew that the master and mistress had thought that if they gave their son his head in this he would soon find out he wasn’t suited to army life, but on the contrary he seemed to have taken to it like a duck to water. Strange that, considering that as a young boy Mr Alexander couldn’t even bear to watch the pheasants being shot on the estate.