‘A caprice, just a caprice. Nothing more. I know Grottorosso for many years.’ Scarlatti smiled coldly. ‘He has an idea that the boy in yellow could be a marvellous “double” for Wolf Hagel. You know what is a double? He does all the work the Film Star is not capable of. By that it seems to me that he will have to play the part himself! No, please, you look so anxious. It is a caprice, Grottorosso was struck by such an amazing resemblance to…’

‘l’Aiglon,’ finished Cuckoo. ‘I know.’

‘And it is amazing. When he pointed it out to me I was quite astonished, but who is this boy? What can he do? He is fine looking, strong, like L’Aiglon, certo… but what can he do? Grottorosso told me that you found him, like a pebble, on the beach. Is true?’

Cuckoo came away from the windows and sat tiredly beside Minerva and took her hand. ‘Who told him that?’ she said.

Minerva shook her head. ‘Not me.’ She put her hand over Cuckoo’s cold one and pressed it warmly. ‘You know that. He probably said it himself. Marcus…’

‘No,’ said Cuckoo. ‘No. He wouldn’t do that. We are conspirators.’

There was a long moment’s silence. From far away in the gardens Bruna calling: ‘Fanny! Fanny! Cooeee!’ The sound of a barrow wheel crunching on the gravel.

‘Conspirators?’ said Minerva. ‘What does that mean?’

‘I mean… he’s my “godson”, you know. We made a plan together. It amused him. He would not have said that, about, about… ‘she tucked her little velvet bow more securely into her hair’. . . about a pebble. It’s unthinkable.’

‘It is only silliness,’ said Scarlatti. ‘Grottorosso is a man who lacks style. He seeks beauty everywhere because he has none within his soul. Forgive me, Minerva, but it is so. He tries to surround himself with beauty all the time. Any price he will pay. But it will pass, it will pass this idea. Anyway,’ she said practically,’ we have not enough money for costumes for a double. My God! My budget is already finished; if we use a double, then he will have to wear the Hagel things.’

Minerva got up, patted Cuckoo’s hand. ‘I must go and take a bath. Lilli? You want to freshen up… a bath, shower?’

‘I come! I come!’ said Scarlatti, collecting her bag and hat. ‘I am sorry, you know, for what I said about a “pebble on the beach”. I do not wish to be offensive… it was just a nonsense of Grottorosso, he is like that, he has no style. I did not know it was your godson. Excuse me.’

Cuckoo went towards her quickly, hands outstretched. ‘Oh no! You must not apologize, it was nonsense on my part. Something we invented, it is not even true. We were just, well, you know… pretending?’