His face clouded over. ‘He is finding it hard to adjust. Before the accident he could never be still for a moment, he was a man who always needed to be doing something, you know? Now he feels useless and a burden to his family. He isn’t, of course, and Estelle still adores him which in the circumstances says a lot for her sweetness of spirit as he can be pretty foul at times. He’s all but become a hermit on his estate in Scotland. They no longer entertain and rarely extend an invitation even to his parents to visit. He’s an only child like me, and his mother is very distressed about the situation but every time they have tried to reach out to him it has made matters worse.’

‘You’re worried about him.’

He nodded. ‘Lawrence is more than a friend, he’s the brother I never had.’

‘I’m so sorry.’ The deeply sad note in his voice had touched her, and it was this that made her bold enough to say, ‘Why don’t you go and see him this leave? You might do him the world of good. Just knowing you wanted to see him would give him a lift.’

He was silent for a moment. Then he said, ‘Would you come with me? You and Betsy? Estelle would love to speak to another woman, I’m sure, and Nicholas is away at boarding school so Rosaleen would be delighted to see Betsy.’

She stared at him, shocked.

‘As friends, of course,’ he said hastily, seeing her expression. ‘And I would make Lawrence and Estelle aware of that.’

It wasn’t that aspect of things that had shocked her, although maybe it should have, she thought ruefully, but she trusted Alexander that he wouldn’t press his attentions on her. No, it was more the fact that he was proposing to introduce her to his friends, his social circle. ‘I don’t think—’

‘Don’t say no, not without thinking about it.’

‘There’s the bakery. I’ve taught Daisy a certain amount about the baking and so on and she’s quite adept now, but she would never cope on her own.’ She should have just said no, flat out, she thought in the next instant, without trying to explain herself. The whole idea was ridiculous.

‘I’m sure there would be someone who could assist her for a day or two. We wouldn’t be away long. Lawrence’s estate is just over the border.’

‘Alexander, I can’t possibly go to Scotland with you.’ She stared at him helplessly. How had they suddenly got to this stage? she asked herself bemusedly. One moment he had been grateful just to be invited in, and the next he was proposing she come away with him. Admittedly to see his friends, and also with Betsy in tow, but nevertheless.

‘Why not?’

‘Why? Well, it’s perfectly obvious.’