The children took turns wheeling the babies around the garden and soon enough they forgot about Louis and Edgar. They concentrated on exploring as much as they could and even revisited the grotto. It turned out to be an artificial cave decorated with the most beautiful mosaics they’d ever seen. Several little bridges led the way over a moat to a central island with an ornate wooden table and chairs. The children had found it charming and not scary at all, and Millie thought it would make the perfect picnic spot on a warm day.

Later on, while Jacinta, Sloane, Sep and Lucas were being introduced around by Ambrosia, Millie and Alice-Miranda took the babies for a final lap of the secret garden. As the pair rounded the end of the path they noticed Marjorie Plunkett disappearing into the grotto.

‘What do you think she’s going in there for?’ Millie asked. ‘She seemed pretty worried about us taking a look earlier.’

Alice-Miranda shrugged. ‘I imagine she’s just curious, like we were.’

‘Perhaps she’s having a romantic rendezvous with her fiancé.’ Millie giggled.

As the girls drew closer to the grotto they could hear voices.

Millie stopped on the path to listen. ‘That doesn’t sound very romantic.’

‘Come on, Millie,’ Alice-Miranda whispered. ‘It’s none of our business.’

Millie knew that her friend was right but there was something about Marjorie Plunkett that intrigued her.

‘Is there anything more to report?’ she heard Marjorie say. Although the woman spoke in hushed tones, the grotto walls amplified her voice. She sounded anxious, not like someone who was having fun at a garden party.

Millie lingered a moment longer while Alice-Miranda pushed the pram further down the path.

‘I’ve just received this,’ a voice replied. ‘Delivered with the palace post, same as last time.’

‘Is the perimeter secure?’ Marjorie asked.

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Thank you, uh, Bunyan. You know we can’t be too careful. I’ve made some arrangements of my own to monitor their whereabouts.’

Millie’s ears pricked up, but she couldn’t hear what Marjorie said next. She raced to catch up with Alice-Miranda, glancing back to see if anyone had emerged. ‘I just heard Miss Plunkett say the strangest thing,’ Millie said.

Alice-Miranda looked at her friend.

‘I know, I know, I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping,’ Millie conceded. ‘But I heard Miss Plunkett say something about being careful and that she had made arrangements to monitor someone’s whereabouts. What do you think that means?’

Alice-Miranda turned to look back up the path and noticed a bald man in a dark suit walking out of the grotto.

‘Maybe she’s nervous about the paparazzi getting into her wedding,’ Alice-Miranda suggested. ‘You know how much Aunty Gee hates being stalked by them. A royal wedding is bound to create a lot of interest.’

‘Oh.’ Millie’s face fell. ‘That’s probably it. Now you mention it, I’m surprised there isn’t more security inside.’

‘I suspect there is but we just can’t see them,’ Alice-Miranda said with a knowing smile. ‘For example, how would you know if that man over there was a guest or a secret-service agent?’ Alice-Miranda pointed to a gentleman who was dressed the same as every other man in the garden. ‘We wouldn’t, would we?’

‘I’d never really thought about that, but you’re right,’ Millie agreed, not knowing whether that made her feel better or not.

‘Hello darling,’ Lloyd said as Marjorie walked towards him. ‘Where have you been?’

‘I was just chatting to Lady Adams,’ Marjorie replied, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Lloyd turned to see where she had come from and frowned. ‘That’s funny because I was just talking to Lord Robert and Lady Sarah a few moments ago, and she didn’t mention you.’

‘Oh, I meant Lady Luttrell.’ Marjorie kicked herself for being so careless. If she’d checked to see where Lady Adams was, she would have known that Lloyd had just seen the woman.

‘Lloyd, hello there.’ Lord Adams appeared through the crowd with his wife on his arm.

Dressed in her trademark cerise pink, Lady Sarah refused to be missed. ‘I didn’t realise you were here, Lloyd. You could have saved me from an hour with Tavistock.’

Lloyd gulped, a red flush engulfed his cheeks. ‘Robert, Sarah,’ he said sheepishly as he reached out and shook hands with the man, then leaned in to kiss Sarah’s cheeks. ‘Where are your lovely girls?’

Marjorie flinched before she greeted the pair. She wondered why her fiancé had just lied to her.

‘They’re staying with their grandmother this week,’ Lord Robert replied. ‘Sarah and I are having a bit of a getaway. It’s a special anniversary.’

‘Congratulations,’ Lloyd said. ‘Marjorie and I are looking forward to our own special day soon. Aren’t we, darling?’

‘Yes, of course,’ Marjorie said distractedly, looking at something in the distance. She turned back to the group and smiled. ‘Please excuse me, I must find the amenities – too much champagne.’

Lord Robert and Lady Sarah chatted away as Marjorie scanned the crowd and located her target. Fortunately, he was standing close to the edge of the garden near the toilets. Marjorie scurried along in her high heels and was pleased to see the woman he was speaking to walk away just as she drew close.

‘We need to talk,’ Marjorie whispered, pretending to wait for the loo.

‘What? Now?’ Thornton Thripp replied. The man had the skills of a ventriloquist the way he could speak without moving his lips, although it did seem to cause an odd twitch in his left eye.

‘As soon as possible – with Her Majesty,’ Marjorie said before walking away.

Thornton Thripp glanced across the garden and caught Lloyd Lancaster-Brown staring at him. He raised his champagne glass in the air and gave a nod. If he didn’t know better he’d have sworn the man looked jealous.