‘Dessert will be fine, Mr Knight.’ She looked up at him with impeccable innocence. ‘I had an excellent breakfast, more than ample.’

He suppressed his smile at her allusion to breakfast, escorted her to a chair, spoke briefly to Zhu, took his seat and glanced up as the servant left the room. ‘Zhu will get your dessert, Miss Hart. Tell Mother about your initial interview with Max at MIT. We have Max to thank for recruiting Miss Hart, Mother.’ His gaze swivelled back to Kate. ‘I believe you said you thought he was a spy.’

‘I’m totally embarrassed about that.’ Kate smiled demurely.

She had a real flair for drama. He should have known: she was a quick study when it came to sex. ‘I had to explain to Miss Hart that Max was actually a physicist.’

‘He looks like someone from MI6,’ Kate said, wide-eyed and slightly breathless. ‘He could have come directly from central casting.’

‘Max’s family is English gentry, ancient and titled.’ Letitia’s voice was condescending, as if someone like Kate required a tutorial on class rank. ‘His family and estate go back to William the Conqueror. Sussex, I believe. Isn’t that so, Dominic? You’ve been there often enough.’ Letitia Knight offered her son a glossy smile before addressing Kate again. ‘I’m trying to make Dominic understand that a wife from such a refined background would be useful in his business. He needs to find some nice young lady from a good family.’

Why not just use a hammer, Mother? ‘I’m not sure a wife’s antecedents count for much in my world,’ Dominic said instead. ‘Deal-making’s about money, not class.’

‘You couldn’t be more wrong, my dear,’ Letitia said with the complacency of her narrow world view. ‘Good breeding is always important.’

‘Why don’t I check out Burke’s Peerage and see who’s available? Any special age group I should consider? Child-bearing age, I suppose. That’s another of your requirements isn’t it, Mother? That I procreate.’

‘Mock me if you wish, Dominic,’ Letitia said with a sniff that fluttered her thin nostrils, ‘but pedigree still matters and you’re not getting any younger. You’d do well to consider both. Your father had money, but it was through my family that he gained entry into the right clubs and met notable and distinguished people. An aristocratic wife could be very helpful to you.’

‘You’re right, Mother.’ There was no point in arguing. His father could have bought his way into any of those clubs with or without his mother’s family. As for children, his parents weren’t exactly models of parenthood. The word ‘shallow’ was coined for his mother, and while Charles Knight was a successful financial trader, Dominic found his father’s cavalier view of ethics and legalities objectionable. Not to mention his father’s serial marriages to increasingly younger women, and the fact that his father hadn’t spoken to him more than ten times in as many years.

‘Tell me about your family background, Miss Hart,’ Letitia said now, her gaze razor sharp. ‘Dominic mentioned you were from the Midwest.’

‘My family is quite ordinary, Mrs Knight. My parents died young and I was raised by my maternal grandparents in a small town near the Canadian border. My grandfather owned a canoe outfitters. My grandmother was the grade-school principal. That’s about it.’

A small silence ensued because Letitia Knight had no idea what a canoe outfitter was, nor a small town, and the word ‘ordinary’ was to be avoided at all costs.

‘Miss Hart’s grandmother is interested in infusing liquors.’ Dominic broke the silence, offering up the information just to see the expression on his mother’s face.

Letitia Knight’s lips pursed like she’d sucked a lemon.

Kate’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

Dominic smiled at Kate. ‘Max’s brief, Miss Hart. Personally, I find your grandmother’s hobby interesting. We recently bought two small firms that infuse liquors – one in northern California, one in Oregon. Their products are exceptional. Does your grandmother have a favourite flavour?’

Stunned, Kate’s mind was blank.

‘Blueberry, perhaps?’ Dominic prompted. ‘I understand they grow wild in Minnesota.’

‘Yes,’ Kate shakily replied, wishing she could disappear into the floor.

Dominic looked up as Zhu returned, followed by Leo. ‘Leo – I’m not sure I want to know why you’re interrupting us,’ Dominic remarked with counterfeit affront.

‘Sorry, sir.’ Leo leaned down to whisper in Dominic’s ear.

Dominic nodded, spoke quietly for a moment, nodded again, then said, ‘Thank you, Leo. Have a car brought up.’ Dominic glanced down the table at his mother. ‘There’s always some emergency, Mother. We’re going to have to leave Hong Kong earlier than expected.’ He offered Kate a polite smile. ‘I’m sorry, Miss Hart. We’ll find you something to eat on the plane.’ He pushed back his chair and came to his feet. ‘Leo will take care of you, Mother. It was nice to see you again.’

With escape in sight, Kate was on her feet a second later. ‘It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Knight.’

‘Yes, I’m sure,’ Letitia dismissively murmured, then waved a finger at Zhu. ‘More coffee.’

Dominic was already walking away from the table.

Kate didn’t precisely run after him, but as near to it as courtesy allowed.