She thought for a moment and then she went on,

“In the Army it obviously galvanises a soldier into action because he has been trained to obey, but perhaps used more hypnotically the voice can control ordinary people not trained to listen.”

“It’s certainly an interesting contention,” the Earl said, “and one we must certainly pursue further. But, as you see, we have now arrived at our destination.”

Thalia looked out of the window to see that the horses had drawn up outside a large building lit by gas lamps, which gave it a garish appearance.

At first she could only stare, then she said in a small rather frightened voice,

“N-no – I cannot go – there!”

“It’s all right,” the Earl said soothingly. “You will not be seen. We are dining in a private room.”

It struck Thalia that this was certainly not the sort of place she should go to alone with a man.

She had read of private rooms. Casanova and the Marquise de Sade, and all sorts of other rapacious creatures in history had taken the woman they wished to seduce to private rooms in different parts of Europe, but she did not know they existed in London.

But, if it was not a private room here, it was, she told herself practically, sure to be a private room somewhere else and she was no more likely to be safe in the Earl’s house where she had somehow expected that they might dine rather than anywhere else.

The footman opened the door and the Earl stepped out to help her alight.

Just for a moment she hesitated, then as she moved her arm, she felt the heaviness of her bag and found it extremely reassuring.

Chapter Four

As the waiters withdrew, the Earl sat back in his chair with a glass of brandy in his hand.

He thought as he looked at Thalia sitting opposite him that the dinner had been unexpectedly stimulating and interesting.

In fact he could not remember when he had last had such an intelligent conversation with a man and never with a woman.

Their conversation had ranged over a great number of subjects and he had become aware that Thalia was exceedingly well read and had an original turn of mind.

She looked very young, but he thought he might in fact have been talking to Lady Melbourne or Lady Holland, very much older women who were noted in the Beau Monde for their intelligence.

For Thalia it had been a fascinating experience to talk with a man who she realised was very unlike the empty-headed beaux who came into Mrs. Burton’s shop and chattered inanely while their ladies fitted endless bonnets.

She had often wondered what it would be like to dine with a man alone and to find herself free to express the opinions that she had kept very much to herself these last three years.