She was pretending to read a novel in the sitting room when he entered and she felt her heart give a sudden leap at the sight of him.
He looked handsome and distinguished. What was more.
He was smiling and before she could ask what sort of day he had enjoyed, he told her,
“I have won!” he said triumphantly. “The French horses are not to be compared with ours and it was not difficult to pick out the best horseflesh amongst them. I had the winner of every race except one and then I picked the second.”
“How clever of you!” Cornelia said. “Did you make a lot of money?”
“Quite a considerable sum, as it so happens. I stopped at the Rue de la Paix on my way home and bought you a present.”
He held out a jeweller’s box as he spoke.
Cornelia took it from him and opened it. It contained a narr
