‘I know and I’m sorry. As soon as my leg heals I’ll return to my regiment. I expect to be sent to the Crimea, so I’ll be far away from here.’

‘That will be even worse.’ Rosalind stared into the bowl of soup, her appetite suddenly deserting her. ‘This isn’t working, Alex. It’s too difficult now that Piers has left for Cornwall.’

‘I know. I feel the same, so maybe I ought to go to Trevenor, after all. I could hire a carriage and do the journey in easy stages. My leg is healing nicely now and I can manage with one crutch.’

‘You’re forgetting that Patsy is still there. Are you ready to face her again?’

‘If I arrive unexpectedly at Trevenor I think Patsy will return home. Perhaps that would be the answer, Rosie. We can’t go on like this. I’m only human and being so close to you is torture. I shouldn’t even tell you that, but it’s true.’

She bowed her head, overcome by the need to agree with him, but they were teetering on the brink of disaster and she knew she must say nothing to make things worse. ‘I think perhaps that would be the best thing to do, Alex. It’s been difficult these past few weeks, but now it seems even more so.’

‘You really want me to leave Rockwood?’

‘I think it would be for the best.’ She pushed her plate away and stood up. ‘I’m not hungry. I’ll go and check on Nancy.’

‘Rosie, come back. I’m sorry.’

She closed the door, shutting out the sound of his voice. There was only so much she could bear, but she had known all along that their time together would be short, and the sooner he left the better it would be for everyone.

Rosalind hardly slept at all that night, and she came down to breakfast prepared to say her last goodbye to Alexander, but he was nowhere to be seen and Hester was seated at the breakfast table.

‘Have you seen Alex this morning, Hester? He said he was going to Trevenor today.’

‘He left at dawn.’ Hester concentrated on buttering a slice of toast. ‘He said you would understand. Gurney took the barouche so that he could bring Patsy back with him if she decided to come home.’

Rosalind bowed her head. ‘Yes, of course.’

‘It was the right thing to do.’

‘Yes, I know that, Hester. I look forward to seeing Patsy. I’ve missed her.’

‘And what about your husband?’

‘I still love him, Hester, but he’s obsessed with the business and seems to think of nothing else these days.’

‘Maybe he will change when he hears your news.’

Rosalind looked up, startled. ‘What do you mean?’

‘That he’ll become a father in the autumn. That’s right, isn’t it?’

‘How can you know that? I’m not sure myself.’