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‘Come on now, Chetwin,’ Charles interrupted.

‘Frobisher, you can’t begin to understand the depravity of my son. I thought we’d taken care of this but it seems he just found a way to keep us off his filthy scent.’ He looked towards Alex and had she not seen it herself, she’d have denied that the gentlemanly Chetwin Britten-Jones was capable of such rage. His eyes had the look of the deranged and there was spittle clinging to his lips. He took out a handkerchief and dabbed at his mouth. ‘I am sorry for you, Alex, my dear girl. You certainly don’t deserve this heinous man as your husband.’

‘And still, knowing what you clearly knew about him, you encouraged our marriage,’ she said evenly but not without accusation.

Neither father nor son showed any surprise at her response.

‘I thought he’d come to his senses. He made us all believe he loved you.’

‘I did and I still do. But please don’t worry, Father, on Alex’s account. She’s found comfort in the arms of another to make up for all the areas I lack.’

Her father looked mortified. ‘I say, Matthew, that’s rather vicious and surely unfounded.’ He looked to Alex.

Alex couldn’t even bring herself to respond to his slur. Amazing herself, she forgave his accusation, knowing how cornered he must feel. ‘Chetwin, may I speak with Matthew, please?’

‘Darling Alex,’ her father began, ‘you truly have no idea what this is about or —’

‘Actually, I do. Please, Dad, Chetwin, a few moments, surely; this is Matthew’s and my home after all.’

Both elder men looked back at her with instantly rueful expressions and Chetwin finally nodded. ‘It’s too late. I’ve taken the step I should have taken many years ago. But I shall leave you momentarily. Matthew, don’t try to run – I shall hunt you down like the filthy cur you are.’ He turned his back on his son, refused to meet Alex’s horrified expression and moved past her.

In contrast Charles Frobisher squeezed her shoulder as he passed. ‘Be gentle on him, darling. This is not really women’s business. Are you sure you —’

‘I’m sure.’

The door closed and she turned to Matthew, who genuinely did give an impression of a cornered, beaten animal.

‘Your turn, Alex darling.’ His voice had a sneering quality that Alex had only heard turned upon her from today. Now it seemed he reserved it for her. ‘Do you really know what all this melodrama is about?’

‘Yes.’

‘How?’

‘Harry told me.’

‘Harry,’ he repeated, somehow managing to make it appear as though the name was tarnished as he spoke it. ‘Lovely, generous, kind Harry . . . just looking out for you, was he, darling? Of course it has nothing to do with him wanting to clamber back into your warm bed —’

‘Shut up, Matthew. Just be quiet a moment.’

He became silent and now she could see he was anxious. It was a day for firsts because this was surely the first time she’d ever noted Matthew’s charm desert him for what could only be described as fear. Alex’s attitude softened.

‘Matthew, I’m sorry that —’

‘Don’t be. This is all my fault.’ He sighed. ‘Actually it’s not my fault – I can’t help who I am. I’ve tried. I promise you I have tried. And I probably tried hardest after I met you. For the first time in my life I had found a woman I genuinely connected with. I’ve always had female friends but you were someone I can honestly say I love. There were moments when I could almost convince myself I felt a romantic attachment to you and I can’t tell you how surprising that is for someone like me, who has grown up knowing his fate since the earliest of ages.’

‘Only almost?’

He frowned, then realised to what she referred. Matthew was quick like that. He gave a shrug. ‘I’m sorry that it wasn’t real, Alex. You deserve to be loved.’

‘We all do.’

He nodded. ‘That’s right. And James and I . . .’

She didn’t mean to flinch but was glad that Matthew didn’t see the slight recoil as he searched for the right way to explain his other relationship.

‘No one appreciates that we’ve been in love since we were schoolboys. He understands me, he makes me feel much taller than I am simply by the way he is when we’re together . . .’ He laughed. ‘He looks up to me – can you believe it? Surely one of the tallest men in Britain and he looks up to me!’ He shook his head. ‘He pays attention to me in so many ways; we are, dearest Alex, the perfect couple and desperately happy together. The problem is society thinks we’re monsters.’

‘I don’t.’