Porter quit his position immediately after he had returned from Aldeburgh. Henry was sorry to let him go, but he could not blame him. He only blamed himself, living every day without plan or purpose, going through the motions that were expected of him, but otherwise numb and lonely.

  Six months later, he had resigned himself to his fate, to the prospect of a joyless, empty life. He remembered his duties and began courting the daughter of a neighbour. The woman was called Celestia; there was nothing about her that interested him. She had a lot of headaches and talked about money frequently. Henry did not like her. He compared her to Aoife. He saw her as his punishment.

  Before his resolution could dwindle, he pulled himself together one day and set out to meet her parents to ask them for their daughter’s hand in marriage. He went on foot; his last minutes as a free man, he thought – twenty minutes from Belgrave Square to Curzon Street. Ridiculous, really. Gritting his teeth, he marched on, barely looking up, not registering what went on around him. He did not see the lady standing in his way, conversing with a couple. Without taking any notice, he bumped into her with full force and nearly pushed her into the street. At the last moment he got hold of her arm and steadied her. What an absolute fool he was! The shock had brought him back to reality.

  “Lord Henry. What a surprise!“, the lady said before he was able to utter a word of excuse. He blinked, but then he knew her at once.

  “Lady Gertrud. What a pleasure“, he stammered.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Trudy Grave-Jennings gave him a radiant smile, and Henry felt the same sense of having known her forever that had struck him during their first encounter. “I had no intention of killing you“, he said, smiling back at her, almost involuntarily. “You must believe me.“

  “Well, I’m so glad to hear it. I would not have known why. - Mr and Mrs Carlton, you know the Earl of Ashwood?“

  Having her take over the introduction did not bother Henry in the slightest. The Carltons said good bye soon after and he found himself alone with Trudy on the pavement, about twenty feet from Celestia’s door. That he had set out to propose seemed to have happened in another life.

  He asked about Trudy’s plans.

  “I have to buy gloves. Riding gloves. I keep losing mine. I’m such a mess.“ She smiled and shrugged.

  “And where were you off to?“

  “Harrods.“

  “Are they open again?“

  “Re-opened this week. I need gloves, and I’m curious.“

  Henry did not hesitate. “Do you mind if I join you?“

  Trudy laughed. “I bet you have never been to a department store.“

  Henry just smiled.

  “Then let’s go“, she said, took his arm and led him away from Celestia’s house, which he was never to set foot in again.

  They bought gloves, had tea, took a walk in Hyde Park, dined at a restaurant he had never heard of, and when he had escorted her to her hotel, he asked her whether she wanted to be his wife. She said that she did.