“So Miss Bell is now in her element.”

“She was so good to us.”

“Good for us, perhaps. She certainly kept me in order. You were always the perfect pupil, Olivia.”

“Oh no. You were the clever one. That’s what pupils should be if they are to be a credit to their teachers.”

“They should be well mannered, docile … and good … and those were the things you were.”

“You’re laughing at me.”

“I would never laugh at you, dear Olivia. I laugh with you.”

“I see there is a difference. Oh … I must tell you. Do you remember Rosie Rundall … or Rosie Russell as she now is?”

“Yes, indeed I do.”

“She’s become a rich woman. She runs a modiste’s establishment. She wrote to me asking for my patronage, so of course I went along. She is just the same … the Rosie we knew, but she is very important now. She sits in a sort of salon at the back of the shop … No, I mustn’t call it a shop … It’s an establishment. She sells the most fantastic hats to the wealthy. A hat has to be a “Rose” hat nowadays. At the races … garden parties … everywhere … there are Rosie’s hats.”

“I am so glad. She was very helpful to us, wasn’t she?”

“Oh yes. Except on that one occasion. Do you remember when she was going to open the door to let you in? When you were Cleopatra.

“I remember.” I was thinking of the first time I had met Jeremy. Rupert of the Rhine … the excitement … it was all coming back. There were too many memories in this house. Olivia was remembering too.

“She left suddenly,” said Olivia. “She had to go away … some business or other. She had to leave at once and there was no time to explain. Well, I can tell you she is a very important lady now. I believe she has more than one of these … er … establishments.”

“She is a very clever woman. Did she marry?”

“No. At least not as far as I know. You must go and see her while you’re here. I was there just before Livia was born and I told her you would be coming for the christening. She was very interested and said she hoped she would be able to see you.”

“I shall certainly go along to see Rosie.”

“We’ll arrange it.”

We went on talking. I wished I did not feel so disturbed but now I was bracing myself for the encounter with Jeremy which must surely come soon.

I did not sleep very well that night. Too many memories were crowding into my mind. How could it be otherwise in this house where so much had happened? I thought of Jago, who would doubtless be sleeping peacefully in his hotel bedroom, of Olivia in her cocoon of happiness which shut out the unpleasantness of the world. I wondered about Jeremy and what he was feeling about meeting me again; and dominating my thoughts, which was not an unusual state for me to be in, was Paul. What was it like for him to be with Gwennie, to try to make a normal marriage out of what I believed for him was a travesty of one?

As we make our beds so must we lie on them. Olivia had made a cosy feather-bed for herself, Paul one of nails.

Mine was not yet complete. Which would it be?

Olivia came into my bedroom while I was dressing.

“I couldn’t wait for you to come down. Did you sleep well? It’s just as it used to be. Breakfast from eight till nine. You help yourself from the dishes on the sideboard. Remember?”

“Yes, except that for most of my time we were eating in the nursery.”

“Jeremy came in late last night. After you’d retired. He asked a lot about you. I told him how well you are and how much you were liking Cornwall. He was so pleased.”

“Very good of him,” I said, and once again my irony was lost on Olivia.

“He does care about you a lot, Caroline. He was ever so upset. I think of it sometimes. You see, if it had worked out for you … which is perhaps what it should have done …”

“What nonsense! It worked out in the best possible way it could. From my point of view it was all for the best.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“I do indeed.”

“I’m so glad. I have worried quite a lot.”

I touched her brow. “I don’t like to see wrinkles there. You must be happy. You’ve got exactly what you need. All this … and Livia too.”

“But I do want you to be happy. Is there … anyone?”

“The trouble with all you married women is that you want everyone else to be in the same plight.”

“Not plight, Caroline. Happy state.”

“If that’s how you feel, I’m delighted. You will have to watch over Livia because I’m rather taken with her, and I might decide to carry her back to Cornwall with me … snatch her away when you’re not looking.”

“Oh, Caroline, I’m so pleased you like her!”

We went into breakfast together and when we were about to leave the table, Jeremy appeared.

He seemed to be quite at ease and I tried to look the same, but I felt anger surging up within me. I wished I could forget that night at the ball, all our meetings … and then that cruel letter.

He was svelte.

“You look well, Jeremy,” I said. “All this …” I waved my hand. “It suits you.”

“We’re happy, aren’t we, Olivia?” he said.

She smiled at him. I guessed her feelings were too strong for words and I thought: She is far too good for him. And yet she loves him and he has made her happy. I must grant him that.

“Olivia was determined that you should be a godparent,” he said.

“You know you wanted Caroline for that too.”

“I knew Caroline would be the perfect godmother.”

“How nice of you to have such a high opinion of me.”

“I hope you are going to stay with us for some time and not run away as soon as you have come.”

I thought, I can’t stay long here. I shall be saying something bitter to him. I shall be telling him what I think of him. I must get away as soon as I can.

“I’m learning about the management of the estate in Cornwall,” I said. “It is so interesting. I mustn’t stay away too long.”

“We shall have to insist that she comes back soon, Jeremy.”

“We shall indeed, my dear.”

“She adores Livia already.”

“Who wouldn’t adore Livia?” I said. “Livia is adorable and there is no more to say.”

We talked for a little while and Jeremy, who clearly felt the strain as much as I did, said he must be off. He had business to attend to.

When he had gone, Olivia asked what I would like to do and I said I should like to go and see Rosie.

“But of course.”

“I shan’t want to buy one of her hats. I can’t think what use I would have for one of her fashionable creations in Lancarron.”

“Rosie wouldn’t expect you to buy a hat. She’d just be delighted to see you. But as a matter of fact I wanted to give you a hat … for the christening. A present. You know how you always liked surprise presents.”

“Oh, Olivia … no!”

“Oh, please yes. Why shouldn’t I give you a present. I want to.”

“I know,” I said, “it is such a fashionable occasion that what I have simply wouldn’t fit.”

“What does that matter? Please, Caroline, it would please me so much.”

There was a knock on the door and a maid entered. She announced that a gentleman was here and asking for Miss Tressidor.

I knew who it was before he was brought in.

“This is Mr. Jago Landower,” I told Olivia.

“And this is the divine Olivia. I have heard so much about you.”

“I’ve heard of you, too,” said Olivia.

“I hope your sister did not malign me.”

“I think I gave a fairly true picture,” I said.

“Oh did you? That causes me some considerable alarm.”

Olivia laughed. She clearly liked his handsome looks and merry manner.

“She made you sound most attractive,” she said.

“And kept quiet about my misdemeanours. Caroline, I have misjudged you.”

“You mustn’t take too much notice of what he says,” I told Olivia. “This is his usual way of talking.”

“I trust it does not displease Mistress Olivia?”

“I like it,” said Olivia.

“And where is the blessed infant?”

“All infants, blessed or otherwise, are in their nurseries at this hour,” I said.

“I was hoping for a glimpse.”

I looked at him in exasperation, knowing that he was not in the least interested in the baby, but trying to win Olivia’s good graces.

“Oh, if you really would like it …” began Olivia.

“If I left this house without seeing this wonder baby I should consider life had cheated me.”

Olivia said: “Come on!” and started to lead the way to the nursery.

“You are ridiculous,” I snapped at him.

“I know,” he whispered back. “But so charming.”

We went into the nursery and he made a good job in feigning an immense interest in the baby. He even held her in his arms and Livia seemed contented that he should do so.

“You see I have her approval,” he said. “She is already aware of my masculine charms.”

Olivia thought he was very amusing.

When we left the nursery I said: “We were going out.”

“Allow me to accompany you.”

“I have ordered the brougham,” said Olivia.

“Then may I join you?”

“There is nothing I should like more,” replied Olivia, “but we are going to pay a visit to a milliner.”

“To get a hat for the ceremony? My help will be invaluable. I’m a connoisseur of ladies’ hats.”

“It’s a hat for Caroline.”

“How interesting!”

“I suppose Rosie makes the hats. There won’t be time before the christening,” I said.

“Oh, Rosie is certain to have something there. She does make specially but she has large stocks and I don’t think you will be very difficult to suit.”