Felicia eyed him coldly. ‘I’m sure they will and I intend to go ahead with my plan. You must rise early and Gurney can take you to Exeter where you will get the train to London.’

‘What are you talking about, Mama?’ Rosalind asked wearily. ‘Why send Claude to London?’

‘He must visit Doctors’ Commons and purchase a special licence so that we can be married instead of Patricia and her errant fiancé.’

‘What will you do if Alex arrives in time, Mama?’

‘If he does, we’ll have a double wedding. My mind is made up. Claude has been wavering and shillyshallying for too long. It’s high time we were legally wed.’

Rosalind turned to Claude. ‘You don’t want this now, do you?’

‘It seems I have very little choice. But I would say that it costs a minimum of twenty guineas, Felicia, my love. If we spend that much on a licence it will mean that Paris is out of the question.’

‘Then you will find me a part in London. I really don’t care, Claude. But tomorrow you will do as I say or I will want to know the reason why. I’m tired and I’m going to bed.’ Felicia rose from her seat and marched out of the dining room.

‘Are you going to do as my mother says, Claude?’ Rosalind asked anxiously. ‘I mean this whole idea is mad. If we assume that Alex can’t get home in time, what will the guests think if the wedding is all about my mother and you? What will it do to Patsy?’

Claude looked away. ‘You know your mama as well as I do, Rosie. Do you imagine that anything I might say or do will make her alter course?’

‘But it’s not right.’

‘I will go, Rosie. I’ll get the licence to keep your mama happy, but I will use my time in London to visit the War Department in Whitehall. If anyone can give me information as to the fate of your brother and Alexander, I should be able to get it there.’

‘That would be wonderful, Claude. Not knowing is the worst thing.’

‘I agree, and it’s one of the reasons I’ve decided to travel to London tomorrow. If I leave very early in the morning I should be back by nightfall, depending on how bad the conditions are further east.’

‘I can’t thank you enough for doing this.’

‘I only wish I could do something for you, Rosie. You must be worried sick about your husband, but you never complain.’

‘I am, of course, but his visits abroad often take much longer than anticipated. In a way I’ve grown used to never knowing when Piers will arrive.’

‘Even so, I’m sorry for what Felicia said earlier. She had no right to upset you like that.’