“Perhaps it’s just spending time with Lady Bowling and Sir Hugh,” I say, in what I hope is a comforting way. “That’s bound to remind him of home. When they leave everything will go back to normal.” The truth is, I suppose, that Leo feels separate to all this. It’s as though he’s already back in the polite drawing rooms of England.

“I suppose.” Hero doesn’t sound completely convinced. Her gaze strays towards Klaus, who is now twirling Ursula around, her gold dress rippling like a beacon. I can already see several other men prowling around the edge of the dance floor waiting to pounce once the song ends. “Klaus is handsome, isn’t he?” she asks, changing the subject with a moonstruck sigh.

“He is,” I agree.

“And Ben, of course,” Hero adds fairly. “He’s handsome too.”

“He certainly thinks so.” I laugh.

“I think we’ve already established how handsome you find me, Miss Beatrice Langton of the Northumberland Langtons,” Ben’s voice chimes in, his tone containing an edge of mockery, and he drops into the chair on the other side of Hero, pouring himself a glass of wine and knocking it back in one swift draught.

“Arrogance is not at all attractive, Benedick,” I reply primly.

“You might be handsome, Ben,” Hero says slyly, “but I think my cousin is the most beautiful girl here tonight. Don’t you?”

“I know I do,” a voice with a heavy Italian accent pipes up, and a polished-looking man in his late twenties bows his head. “Would you do me the honour, signora?” He holds out his hand, but before I can reply Ben is on his feet.

“I’m stealing her away, I’m afraid,” he says, and with that he practically hauls me out of my chair and off away from the crowd. I can hear Hero’s stifled laughter.

“That was very rude,” I say.

“That man is a notorious womanizer,” Ben replies. “I was being protective. Chivalrous.”

“Oh yes, chivalry, I’m sure that’s what it was. Wouldn’t want to spend time with handsome, notorious womanizers,” I scoff. “They are truly awful. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself, thank you.”

“I know you are; I was trying to protect him from receiving a black eye.”

“Honestly, you accidentally punch someone in the face, just once, and you never hear the end of it,” I complain. “And you barely even had a bruise.”

I look over to where Klaus is once again in conversation with the handsome musician, their heads close together. Something invisible crackling between them.

“I know you said that Klaus was flirting with me before,” I say carefully, “but I wonder if he might not be more interested in your company than mine.”

A flash of surprise appears in Ben’s eyes. “So you know about that, do you?”

“I’ve been making some observations,” I concede.