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Now, why on earth would he be offering that information? Alex wondered, frowning slightly at Harry. He was up to something – she knew him intimately enough to appreciate that Harry had turned aggressive. It struck her that he was trying to trap Matthew in a lie and she was caught in her surprise even more intently by how Harry’s seemingly casual remark about the visit to the club with her father seemed to startle her husband. And startling Matthew was a rare event; she had never known him to respond like a man cornered.

‘You were at the club? In York?’ he qualified, his voice taut.

Harry nodded and Alex noticed an intense quality to the way he regarded Matthew. His eyes had a new glitter of . . . what was it? Hostility? Yet he didn’t know Matthew, and she didn’t think fury would be his position on meeting him. Disappointment, sadness, hopefully some envy . . . but not what appeared to be umbrage. Alex felt lost. If she could, she would have laid a hand on Harry and suggested he not pursue this conversation. Instead she tried to interrupt with a breezy remark but Harry ignored her, continuing on his path.

‘Yes. Excellent staff – very well-informed waiters.’

‘Is that so?’ Matthew’s voice had turned from taut to rigid.

Alex moved, convinced this discussion could turn sour.

‘Mmm, yes,’ Harry said as they followed her lead and stood. ‘I was most impressed that one of them could inform your father-in-law of your movements between London and York. We shared a chuckle in fact that he seemed better informed than your family.’

Alex gasped inwardly. What on earth was Harry doing?

‘I see,’ Matthew replied, as if taking stock. ‘Well, I’m sorry we missed each other.’

‘Actually it was probably wrong of me to presume anything,’ Harry continued, oh so casually. ‘I’m right that you weren’t in York?’

‘That’s correct.’ Matthew cleared his throat lightly. ‘I was held up in London but finished my business quicker than expected. Then this business came up in Harrogate and it just seemed easier to attend to it, before I came home,’ he said, turning attention to Alex before adroitly changing topics. ‘I’ll bet old Norma wasn’t at all pleased at me missing dinner.’

‘Yes, well, I’m going to leave you to apologise for that,’ she admonished as she watched them eye each other off as though they were both about to stand back to back, walk a dozen paces and take aim. ‘Matthew? Shall we?’

‘After you, my darling.’

Alex noticed her husband cast a few shillings onto the table as Harry made an effort to catch their pretty waitress’s attention and thank her. Another unexpected arrow of jealousy shot through her; even the waitress would get more attention than she could rightfully hope for as she now had to take Matthew’s arm and be guided out into the cold. Its shock stung the guilty burn of her cheeks and the confused thoughts over why Harry had risked drawing so much attention.

‘Darling, I’d really rather you didn’t drive. That car can be a bit sluggish on wet roads and it’s turning icy.’

She didn’t have the strength to argue with him.

‘I’ll drive the car, if you’ll permit me, Alex?’ Harry offered and she wanted to hug him for asking her instead of making the statement to her husband.

‘Excellent, Blakeney,’ Matthew answered as if she had lost the ability to speak. ‘Give him the keys, darling. You can drive with me.’

‘Oh, I thought I’d . . .’ Alex could see her husband’s expression was open and controlled but she sensed in the tense way he held himself – so uncharacteristic of Matthew, normally able to deflect any situation with his charm – that he did not expect to be defied.

‘I’ll be fine,’ Harry assured. ‘I’m sure you’d prefer to have some time together.’ He took the keys she retrieved from her handbag.

‘The gears can be sticky, the brakes a tad sluggish on bends.’

‘I’ll work it out.’ Harry smiled. ‘No need to wait for me – I can find my way back.’

‘Thank you, Blakeney. I’ll have a driver return to your accommodations once in York.’

Matthew said this to his back because Alex noted that Harry had already turned away and she couldn’t read his expression or mood. But there was definitely an undertone between the two men and it seemed to have nothing to do with her.

Inside the car, Matthew flapped irritably with the keys and the ignition button.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ she asked.

‘What do you mean?’

‘You know what I mean. What’s made you so defensive all of a sudden? I’ve never known you to be quite as possessive.’

‘Don’t be absurd, Alex, although now you mention it, maybe I should be concerned about my wife gallivanting around the county with a handsome bachelor, a stranger to the family.’

The car jerked forward and Matthew sped off.