“I’ve been posted here,” Lord John explained. “I arrived last night. I would have been here sooner but one ot our carriage horses slung a shoe and it took four hours to find a smith. I couldn’t sleep either. It’s just too exciting.“ He smiled happily, expecting the Duchess to share his joy.

“You’re with the army?”

“Of course.” Lord John plucked at his uniform coat as though that proved his credentials. “Harry Paget asked for me, I begged Prinny’s permission, and he finally relented.” Lord John, though a cavalry officer, had never been permitted to serve with the army. He was an aide to the Prince Regent who had resolutely refused to lose his services, but Henry Paget, Earl of Oxbridge, who was another crony of the Prince and who also commanded Britain’s cavalry, had successfully persuaded the Prince to give Lord John his chance. Lord John laughed as he went to the sideboard where he helped himself to toast, ham and coffee. “Prinny’s damned jealous. He thinks he should be here to fight Napoleon. Talking of whom, is there any news?”

“Arthur doesn’t expect any nonsense from him till July. We think he may have left Paris, but no one’s really very sure.” Arthur was’the Duke of Wellington. “I asked Arthur whether we were quite safe having our ball tonight, and he assured me we are. He’s giving a ball himself next week.”

“I must say war is an ordeal,” Lord John smiled at the Duchess from the sideboard.

The Duchess shrugged off his flippancy, and instead offered the elegant young man a most suspicious stare. “Have you come alone?”

Lord John smiled winningly as he returned to the table. “Bristow is very kindly finding me two tickets.”

“I suppose it’s that woman?”

Lord John hesitated, then nodded. “It is Jane, indeed.”

“Damn you, Johnny.”

The Duchess had sworn in a very mild tone, but her words still made Lord John bridle. Nevertheless he was too much in awe of the older woman to make any voluble protest.