‘She’s a worry,’ he said and started up the stairs. At the first landing he stopped, his eyes wide with surprise. He struck the stone bannister with his fist. That’s who he is! Of course! I knew, I knew! He stared unseeingly along the wide corridor ahead. Of course he is. He’s l’Aiglon!

Chapter Two

She had the widest blue eyes he had ever seen. Startled; a surprised child propped up among pillows in the enormous canopied bed, wrapped in a frilly bed-jacket, a black velvet bow in her hair, two gold bracelets on the arm which was not in a sling.

‘I have told Bruna to put you in the “bachelor’s room”; it’s rather small, but I do think you’ll be happier there. The others are so large. It has a divine view right down to the sea. Rather more comfortable than the picnic place.’ She had tilted her head to look up at him, smiling. ‘You really are quite amazingly tall. Six foot something?’

‘One. About.’

‘Tremendous. So fortunate. I always wanted to be tall. But tall girls are not really awfully popular; or at least they weren’t in my day. So I settled for being a bantam. Would you call it … pint-size?’

‘I’d call it absolutely the right size.’

‘Lud!’ she cried throwing up her good hand lightly. ‘He flatters me! Isn’t it too maddening that I have to stay here, in this boring old bed? Nothing broken. Bruised and frightfully stiff and I bashed this elbow, it throbs like billy-o. I’ll be up and about tomorrow, you’ll see.’

Bruna, who had been standing silently in the wide bay of the window with clasped hands before her, now started to draw the long lace curtains with slow deliberation. They whispered along the brass rail.

‘My chaperone appears to think that it is time you went. Poor darling won’t speak a single word of English, but she understands it well enough, eh, Bruna dear? Do you speak French?’

‘School stuff: savez-vous planter les choux?’

‘Madly advanced. Most of my guests can’t manage “Bonjour”. Well, anything you need, just ask Bruna here. Eh, Bruna? Anything the young gentleman needs. She’s just pretending not to listen, take no notice, she only looks disagreeable because she has been tied to me for forty-five years, a life sentence, poor angel. I’ll see you in the morning. You won’t dash off somewhere, will you?’

‘No. I’ll wait. If that’s all right?’

‘It’s perfect. I’d be furious.’

‘Sir Charles asked me to look in and have a night-cap in the study; perhaps I’d better go.’

‘Yes. Do. You’ll find your way all right? Down to the hall, the long corridor on the right, door at the far end beside a bust of Marie Louise looking dreadfully sulky.’