Will you?'

'Well,' Deveraux smiled, 'if you insist.'

'That's settled, then. We are giving a small house party, anyway, so it'll fit in quite nicely. Thursday suit you? That's when most of the others are arriving.'

'Thursday will be admirable.'

'Trains at quarter-past ten, twelve, two, and four from Paddington. Takes about two hours. Tell the guard to stop at Alderley Halt. It's an old right we've got.'

'Actually, I shall probably motor down.'

'Well, it's easy enough to find. Look forward to seeing you. 'Bye.'

'Good bye, Lady Burford. And many thanks.'

Deveraux watched Lady Burford walk briskly away. Then he strolled off in the other direction. He gave a little smile to himself. 'Well, my boy,' he muttered under his breath, 'congratulations, I must say you arranged that very nicely indeed.'

* * *

Richard Saunders eyed the man who was sitting opposite him, fastidiously sipping coffee out of a Crown Derby cup. Then he pushed an open box of cigarettes across his desk. 'Cigarette, Thornton?'

'Thank you, no, Minister. I do not smoke.'

Richard took one himself and lit it before saying: 'I asked you here this morning because I thought it would be a good thing if we got together for a chat about the weekend. I wondered if you have any advance thoughts about these talks.'

Edward Thornton put down his cup, took out a white linen handkerchief and carefully wiped his lips. Then he said: 'None of any importance, I'm afraid, Minister.'

He was a tall, thin individual, wearing pince-nez and a wing collar. There was little in his personality to impress. Yet Richard knew him to have a reputation as one of the Foreign Office's best negotiators - a man of icy logic, decisive speech, and prodigious memory.

Thornton said: 'As I see it, the negotiations should be relatively straightforward. After all, there is no clash of interests involved. HMG and the Grand Duke want basically the same thing.'

'The details may be tricky, though. That's where you're going to come in especially.'

'I feel confident I am adequately prepared and can advise you with a high degree of accuracy.'

'Good man. Just talking to you makes me feel happier. As you know, I'm very much a new boy at this sort of thing. But I don't think you'll let me make too many floaters.'

Thornton smiled thinly. 'I do flatter myself that I have saved the reputation of more than one minister in the past. But I do not expect to be called upon to do so on this occasion.'

'I hope you're right,' said Richard.

* * *

Merryweather, Lord Burford's venerable and stately butler, sat in his pantry and ticked names off his list. Mr. and Mrs. Peabody, the Royal Suite; the European gentlemen, the Cedar and the Blue bedrooms; Miss Jane her usual; Mr.