‘You betrayed me!’ he said.

Daisy sighed. Clearly it was not going to go the way she had hoped. ‘We both committed adultery,’ she said. ‘You first.’

‘I’ve been humiliated. Everyone in London knows!’

‘I did try to stop you making a fool of yourself in Claridge’s – but you were too busy humiliating me! I hope you’ve thrashed the loathsome marquis.’

‘How could I? He did me a favour.’

‘He might have done you a bigger favour by having a quiet word at the club.’

‘I don’t understand how you could fall for such a low-class oik as Williams. I’ve found out a few things about him. His mother was a housemaid!’

‘She’s probably the most impressive woman I’ve ever met.’

‘I hope you realize that no one really knows who his father is.’

That was about as ironic as you could get, Daisy thought. ‘I know who his father is,’ she said.

‘Who?’

‘I’m certainly not telling you.’

‘There you are, then.’

‘This isn’t getting us anywhere, is it?’

‘No.’

‘Perhaps I should just have a lawyer write to you.’ She stood up. ‘I loved you once, Boy,’ she said sadly. ‘You were fun. I’m sorry I wasn’t enough for you. I wish you happiness. I hope you marry someone who suits you better, and that she gives you lots of sons. I would be happy for you if that came about.’

‘Well, it won’t,’ he said.

She had turned towards the door, but now she looked back. ‘Why do you say that?’

‘I got the report from that doctor we went to.’

She had forgotten about the medical. It had seemed irrelevant after they split. ‘What did he say?’

‘There’s nothing wrong with you – you can have a whole litter of pups. But I can’t father children. Mumps in adult men sometimes causes infertility, and I copped it.’ He laughed bitterly. ‘All those bloody Germans shooting at me for years, and I’ve been downed by a vicar’s three little brats.’

She felt sad for him. ‘Oh, Boy, I’m really sorry to hear that.’

‘Well, you’re going to be sorrier, because I’m not divorcing you.’

She suddenly felt cold. ‘What do you mean? Why not?’

‘Why should I bother? I don’t want to marry again. I can’t have children. Andy’s son will inherit.’

‘But I want to marry Lloyd!’

‘Why should I care about that? Why should he have children if I can’t?’

Daisy was devastated. Would happiness be snatched away from her just when it seemed to be within her reach? ‘Boy, you can’t mean this!’

‘I’ve never been more serious in my life.’

Her voice was anguished. ‘But Lloyd wants children of his own!’

‘He should have thought of that before he f-f-fucked another man’s wife.’

‘Very well, then,’ she said defiantly. ‘I’ll divorce you.’

‘On what grounds?’

‘Adultery, of course.’

‘But you have no evidence.’ She was about to say that that shouldn’t be a problem when he grinned maliciously and added: ‘And I’ll take care you don’t get any.’