After the women had passed me as well, I ran back to my grandmother to ask why these funny nuns had three men walking before them and in these carnival clothes as well. As the doctor chose this moment to accost my grandmother, I never found out. The doctor settled down in a chair and asked my grandmother some quick questions, all of which she denied with a headshake. And that was the examination, because he left after that to sit with some other people who had been on the plane.

My grandmother then took me up to our room again, making me take a nap while we waited for the luggage to be brought in. Surprisingly, it arrived before it was time for dinner, and we therefore went correctly dressed to have dinner in the restaurant on the hotel ground floor. We were settled at a small table and had just sat down when the three funnily dressed men entered the room. They were shown to a table at the other end of the restaurant, but instead of sitting down, one of the black clad men came over to our table bowing courteously before my grandmother.

‘Madame,’ he said in French, ‘His Royal Highness has asked me to greet you and to ask you if I may address a question to you?’ Upon a nod from my grandmother, he continued ‘His Royal Highness has seen your beautiful boy in the hall of the hotel and he wanted to ask if an adoption would be possible? His Royal Highness would obviously recompense the boy’s family with five million pounds for the gracious favour should they be agreeable.’

All colour had gone from the face of my grandmother’s face except for two angry red spots on her cheeks. ‘Monsieur, I find the offer offensive to my family and your presence at our table an unwanted imposition. Please tell you master that I absolutely forbid him or anyone else from his party to talk to the boy or even approach him. Good night.’ And she started telling me about the cousins I was going to meet tomorrow while pointedly ignoring the black presence still at our table.

After dinner, she immediately took me to our room, locking the door. She put me to bed and then moved the wardrobe in front of the door and a chest of drawers in front of the wardrobe. I was mystified, but she only said ‘There are people who don’t take no as an answer. Better to be safe than sorry.’