When Alexander reached Highfield Hall his mother’s dinner guests were leaving in their cars and carriages. He waited until the last one had departed before he walked into the drawing room where his parents were discussing the evening over a cup of coffee, and his entrance caused them to look up in surprise.

‘Alex?’ His father stared at him, taking in that he had changed from his formal dinner suit into day clothes. ‘We thought you had gone to bed some time ago. Is anything wrong?’

‘Nothing’s wrong and I didn’t go to bed. I’ve been out, actually.’

‘Out?’

His mother put in, ‘At this time of night?’

‘I drove into Consett to see someone, a friend, although she will become more than a friend if I can persuade her to look at me along those lines.’ He had decided on the way home that he was going to tell them about Rose. While she had held him firmly at arm’s length it hadn’t been worth upsetting them, but now – ‘I am in love with her.’

His father’s mouth fell into a slight gape but his mother’s eyes narrowed. He knew that look. Her matchmaking look.

‘I’ve known her for two years and loved her that long,’ he said quietly, ‘and I won’t be dissuaded from pursuing her.’

His father went to say something but his mother stopped her husband by raising her hand and saying, ‘William, ring the bell and ask for coffee and brandy for Alexander. Alexander, sit down. We will discuss this in a few moments. I take it we are at least allowed to ask a few questions considering you are our only child, and by all accounts are considering matrimony at some time in the future with this girl?’

‘She isn’t a girl. What I mean to say is, she is a woman, a widow with a young daughter,’ he said as he sat down opposite them.

The footman appeared after he had dropped this bombshell and when William had dutifully ordered the coffee and brandy and the man had disappeared, Arabella again stopped her husband from continuing when William said, ‘Why on earth haven’t you mentioned this before and—’

‘Wait, dear, please,’ she said firmly.

Alexander knew it was because his mother didn’t want the footman to overhear their conversation when he returned with the coffee, and in spite of himself he felt guilty at how she was going to feel when she knew the full extent of what he had to say. He didn’t want to cause her distress or his father either for that matter, but Rose came first. He was damned if he was going to apologize for falling in love with her, or to try and keep their relationship secret.