‘The world is a big place, Father, and England and its archaic class system is only a tiny part of it. If this country won’t accept Rose and me as a couple then I shall find somewhere that does. I have independent means thanks to Grandmama and Grandpapa, and a new life together where we are accepted purely on our own merits wouldn’t be a bad thing.’

His father swore loudly, shaking his head. ‘You’re talking about Utopia and it doesn’t exist, not this side of heaven.’

Arabella had gone white, and her voice trembled when she said, ‘You would really do that? Leave – leave everything for this woman?’

‘Her name is Rose, Mother. Rose. And yes, I would do that if I had to.’ The look in her eyes was such that half of him wanted to go across and put his arm round her and comfort her; the other half, the stronger half, kept him sitting rigidly in his seat.

‘I don’t understand, this has come out of nowhere,’ she said in a small voice quite unlike hers.

‘No, not out of nowhere. I have loved Rose for two years and she has refused me that long, partly, I suspect, because she knew that what is happening now with you and Father would occur if she agreed to look on me favourably. I haven’t mentioned her before because I didn’t want to distress you if there was no hope she would change her mind.’

‘And now you have hope.’

‘Yes, I do. And let me tell you something else while I am about it. If Rose won’t have me then I shall never take a wife, Mother. You have my word on that. I want no more prospective partners brought to this house like pedigree cows paraded before a prize bull—’

‘Alexander!’ His father’s face was scarlet with temper. ‘You go too far. Apologize to your mother.’

Arabella raised a hand to her husband once more before looking at her son. ‘It wasn’t quite like that,’ she said quietly. ‘I only wanted you to be happy, to find someone you could share your life with and have a family.’