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My dear brother was of the same mind as me.

He saw the value of women’s contribution to society and believed they should have the same status and rights as men.

It is a tragedy that his wife is content to leave the management of every aspect of her life to men.

She is simply not interested in voting or even in having her opinions heard.

Were she inclined to get off her lazy behind and visit the workhouses like I have done, and seen the pitiful conditions where desperate women and children are treated with less respect and compassion than animals, she might be motivated to do something about it.

The only way we can change the sorry state of the poor is in law.

Men are not interested in alleviating the suffering of those in need as women are.

Indeed, we are far more compassionate. If we had political power, society would be greatly improved.

It is something we must fight for. As long as Bertha has money to spend and pretty dresses, she cares not about her rights as a human being.

I rounded on Lord D and the young Marquess of S when they dined with us at Broadmere last week, after they agreed that the government should indeed put a stop to force-feeding suffragette prisoners who go on hunger strike but only so that they are left to starve themselves to death instead.

Imbéciles ! Indeed, the heartlessness of the comment left me breathless.

‘They must learn that their acts of vandalism will not get them anywhere,’ said Lord D.

What a pompous man he is, and ugly too, I might add.

I told them that since we have started throwing rocks through windows the government has, indeed, started to panic.

‘We have tried to hold discussions and meetings and peaceful processions, but to no avail,’ I said.

‘Now we have resorted to vandalism. It is the only way to be heard. Suffragettes will continue to fight for equality until we get it. It is as simple as that and the government will try, as they have tried throughout history, to crush ideas that cannot die, in the usual heavy-handed way. Unfortunately, they never learn from history.’

L was not amused. ‘Men have been the dominant gender for thousands of years,’ he said, as if that was an intelligent argument.

‘And why do you think that is, my dear Lester?’ I asked with a smile.

Before he could answer, I said, simply, ‘Brawn.’ When the three of them looked at me blankly – none of the other ladies were brave enough to support me and chose to drop their eyes onto their pudding plates – I added, by way of an explanation, ‘For thousands of years, muscles were required for communities to survive. That is no longer the case. We have automobiles, farm machinery and any number of devices to take the place of men’s brawn.

When it comes to brains, I would even go so far as to say that women’s are more effective.

There would be less poverty and more compassion if women were in power.

’ I laugh now to recall it. I unleashed three furies and none more furious than L, who has quite a temper.

‘Pay no attention to this cat mewing,’ he said, quoting Lloyd George. ‘With respect, Aunt Constance, women having any power beyond the nursery is as likely as man walking on the moon.’

My reply to that was, ‘We shall see.’

3. My trusty informer, Ruby, has more information on Glover – the dastardly valet!

She took my brooch into Hatton Garden to be repaired.

As she passed the pawn shop, whom did she see in there, but Glover, pawning items surely pilfered from his master’s dressing room.

She went in to confront him and her eyes seized upon the cufflinks he was sporting.

Comme un chat , Ruby misses nothing! Lester’s cufflinks!

There was no mistaking them. The gold-and-sapphire ones that belonged to his dear father.

The audacity of the man is beyond belief.

Ruby commented upon them and Glover, in his usual supercilious way, looked at her down his long nose and replied, ‘I am doing Lord Ravenglass’s bidding, if you don’t mind.

I am sure you have business of Miss Fleet’s to attend to.

’ When I informed Lester, he told me to mind my own business.

Glover is his valet and his responsibility, he argued.

I said he should dismiss him and employ someone trustworthy.

There are plenty of good valets to be found.

Indeed, they are two a penny. Besides, Glover has only been in service to Lester for eight months, certainly not long enough to make himself indispensable.

Which makes me suspicious. What does Glover have on Lester?

Is he privy to immoral behaviour? Lester is a ladies’ man, to be sure, and quite likely reckless in his adventures.

Is there something that Lester has done, which he fears Glover might expose?

If there is something unseemly in Lester’s life, I must find out what it is and deal with it before it comes into the light.

Nothing must be allowed to ruin his reputation if he is to marry a suitable girl, which he must. The very survival of Broadmere as the Ravenglass family seat depends on it.

Am I the only member of this family who holds the same values as our ancestors?

Grandpa Hume, dear Papa and dear recently departed George loved Broadmere with all their hearts, and so do I. Oh, if only I had been born a boy!

Monday, 12th June, 1911

I must take another lover. I have grown tired of Romeo.

Inconceivable at first, for how I longed for those magic hours between cinque à sept , when I could forget myself in his kisses and indulge my desires in a most unladylike fashion.

I found him handsome and amusing, and he made me laugh, but he is now petulant and brings his complaints to my bed, which is tiresome.

Less of a Romeo now and more of a Rusty!

I am not the least interested in his gripes.

Let us be frank, I do not cherish Romeo for his conversation!

Indeed, familiarity breeds contempt. Once, the clandestine nature of our rendezvous simply made them more exciting; however, now I am bored in spite of the danger.

I must find a new paramour. How they are stacking up: Prospero the Brigadier, boastful Petruchio, silver-tongued Fool, and Benedick with the dreamy brown eyes …

none of them lasts. Tant pis . I am not made for one man alone.

It is not long before ennui sets in and I must discard them like matches whose flames have died and are, as a consequence, no longer fit for purpose.

With careful navigation, I have managed to keep them sweet.

The secret to ensuring their discretion is to keep the door of possibility open a crack, thus ensuring they remain loyal – and hopeful.

I am aware that I possess neither youth nor beauty, but I do have charm and exuberance, and a spark of outrageousness, which most women lack, and many men admire and secretly crave.

I do not want a husband – I have no need, being independently wealthy – but I have physical yearnings.

Yes, I must cast my eye about for a new lover and deal kindly with poor lovelorn Romeo.

Wednesday, 14th June, 1911

Emmeline Pankhurst is a formidable woman with a vision she holds firm and aloft.

In truth, nothing and no one will turn her from her path.

I admire her greatly. The WSPU has planned a glorious march through the city on Saturday, five days before the King’s coronation, to put pressure on the government to grant votes for women in the Conciliation Bill.

It does not go far enough, of course, proposing to give the vote only to propertied women, but it is a start.

We can build on that. I do believe it will go through.

We seem to be making wonderful progress at last.

Met with Romeo and let him down gently. I pretended that Bertha had reported hearing our names whispered in the same sentence at Lady J’s salon and that I cannot afford a scandal.

I am amused. Bertha wouldn’t hear such a rumour if it were shouted into her ear.

She is much too busy thinking about herself.

Romeo, having much to lose himself were our relationship to come into the light, has retreated like a terrified squirrel scampering up a tree.

Handsome he may be, but he’s no MacDuff!

Lady J’s salon. On the lookout for a new paramour, but no one new to behold. Only the same, familiar faces. Dull, dull, dull. London is too small. Perhaps I must return to Paris for another season. Yes, I can easily see myself with the Count of Montecristo or D’Artagnan. Would that not be amusant ?