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corners.
    ‘Are you in London for Christmas?’ he asked, as he swung her expertly round.
    ‘I planned to be, but now I’ve decided to go down to Selchester.’
    ‘What, as a guest of the new Earl? That, Sonia, my love, will make you look ridiculous. Half of London knows how you hate him, since you’ve said so at every opportunity.’
    Sonia waved an airy hand. ‘Oh, that. I don’t exactly hate him. He isn’t really the kind of man you can hate. What I hate is his being the Earl and inheriting everything instead of me. Am I supposed to be delighted at that? I don’t think so.’
    ‘Has he invited you?’
    Sonia considered that for a moment. ‘Not exactly. He didn’t say, “Sonia, come and share a family Christmas at the Castle.” It’s more that he issued one of those vague invitations, the way that people do. You know. He said that the Castle had been my home and I must feel myself free to come at any time. Any time is going to be this Christmas, that’s all.’
    The music ended, and they drifted back to the table. The Hunsonbys stayed on the floor for another dance, and Rupert lit a cigarette for Sonia. She sat back in her chair, a long elegant cigarette holder poised between two fingers, eyes half closed.
    He laughed. ‘You look decadent.’
    ‘Oh good. I need to feel decadent before I can face the horrors of a family Christmas. I mean, only think of the company. Gus and his daughters. Freya and that man Hugo Hawksworth probably, although God knows why. You’d have thought he and his ghastly young sister would have had the grace to buzz off at Christmas.’
    ‘I take it you’re not a fan of this Hugo? Impervious to your fatal beauty – surely not?’
    ‘Hugo’s an attractive man, dark and saturnine, but not my sort. Not that he ever showed any interest in me. He runs around with that Valerie Whatsit creature. He’s a fool, he’d much better ditch her and turn his attentions towards Freya.’
    ‘Matchmaking?’
    ‘No, I couldn’t be bothered. But I know Valerie slightly, and Hugo’s wasted on a woman like that.’
    ‘So it’ll be the family and your cousin Freya and this Hugo. What about your Veryan relations?’
    ‘Thank God they won’t be staying at the Castle. Aunt Priscilla always has her brood at Veryan House at Christmas. Plus Oliver; I’m taking him with me. Although not for the whole of Christmas. He’ll come back to town on Christmas Eve.’
    Rupert said, ‘Oliver? Who’s Oliver?’
    ‘You know, Oliver Seynton. The art man.’ Sonia took a deep draw of her cigarette and let out smoke in elegant little circles. ‘I’ve said I’m bringing Oliver to advise Gus, but actually I want him to look at some paintings that are tucked away in the attic, which weren’t ever included in the inventory. They’re no use to Gus, they’d just be a burden to him. He’ll have to sell no end of paintings and things, or hand them over to the nation, because of all those dreadful death duties. So, out of the kindness of my heart, I thought I might put him in the way of avoiding some of that unjustifiable tax by taking away those pictures.’
    ‘A spot of theft?’
    ‘I have as much right to them as Gus. No questions, no lies. Oliver will dispose of them quietly and discreetly for me.’
    ‘Doesn’t Oliver work for Morville’s? I can’t see them involved in anything like that.’
    ‘Sharpen your wits, darling. Oliver, like any man of any sense, is always glad of a little extra. His work for Morville’s is completely above board and respectable. That was the Oliver who came and did the inventory. Now I’m taking him down to Selchester in his other persona. He has quite a reputation for doing private deals for people who have assets they want to dispose of without attracting any attention.’
    Rupert didn’t like the sound of this. ‘Do you know why your father bought these paintings? And why he kept them in an attic?’
    ‘Heavens, don’t ask me. I suppose he was planning to have