‘You don’t have to apologise for my mother. I’m used to her ways, Claude. She often speaks out of turn and is usually very sorry for it afterwards. I don’t expect anything else from her, if I’m to be honest.’

‘If I have time I plan to call in at the Opera House on my way from Doctors’ Commons to Whitehall. The manager is an old friend, and he might have a part to offer your mama in one of the future productions. With that and the special licence, it should guarantee to keep her happy for quite a while.’

‘You spoil her, Claude.’

‘She didn’t have a happy start in life. Her mother performed at The Eagle in the City Road, London. She died of consumption when your mama was fourteen, leaving her to make her own way. That’s how her talent was spotted at such a young age. She makes light of the hardships she suffered, but they were very real, I can assure you.’

‘She’s never spoken about her early years. All we’ve ever heard about were her successes. She never mentioned her parents.’

‘I’m not sure she ever knew her father, or even who he was. I believe her mother was quite free with her favours, but it’s easy to judge harshly. I can’t begin to imagine how hard it would have been for a young woman to earn her living by singing in public houses or even on street corners. Your mama raised herself from the gutter to live in a castle.’

Rosalind smiled and shook her head. ‘Even that didn’t make her happy. But thank you for telling me all this. It does make it easier to understand her a little better.’

Claude drank the last of his wine. ‘I should go to bed if I’m to be up early in the morning.’

‘I’ll send James to the stables to tell Gurney to be ready, but we’d better keep the fact that you intend to visit the War Department a secret from the others. I don’t want to raise Patsy’s hopes only to have to dash them again should there be bad news.’

Chapter Four