“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!” Lord Dandish cautioned. “You are going too fast! I have to find out the price. I don’t intend to be taken for a greenhorn!”

Lady Wentmore laughed a tinkling little laugh that somebody had once told her sounded like bells.

“Nobody would ever suspect you of being a greenhorn, Arthur! You are far too astute, far too clever in every way.”

“I hope so,” Lord Dandish said complacently.

Thalia looked across the shop to Mrs. Burton, who, seeing that Lady Wentmore had replaced her own bonnet, made her excuse to her client and came to Lord Dandish’s side.

“I understand her Ladyship is satisfied,” she said, “and I hope you too, my Lord. As an old and valued customer, we always do our best to give you satisfaction.”

“That depends on one thing and one thing only,” Lord Dandish began.

Carrying the blue bonnet in her hand, Thalia escaped to the back of the shop.

“Pack this up,” she said to one of the work-women, “and tell Mrs. Burton if she asks where I am that I have just gone out for a breath of air.”

“A breath of air?” the work-woman repeated. “That not be like you, Thalia. I thought you never left the place till ’twas time to go home.”

Thalia did not even bother to answer. She was slipping on her grey bonnet.

Then, without saying any more, she opened the backdoor and stepped out into the street.

She stood for one moment irresolute and, then lifting her skirts in both hands, she started to run.

If it was a surprise to the passers-by to see anybody running down Hay Hill into Berkeley Square, Thalia did not notice them.

Still running, swerving to avoid anybody walking in the opposite direction, she was breathless by the time she reached the imposing entrance to Hellington House.

Only then did she stop to draw in a deep breath, which she hoped would ease the frantic beating of her heart.

As she did so, the front door opened and two footmen wearing the Earl’s livery came out to start laying a red carpet, which would cover the steps and run out over the pavement.

A second later Thalia saw the Earl’s phaeton being driven around the comer.

She realised that she was only just in time.

She walked up the steps and, as she reached the front door, she saw standing in the hall the butler who had waited at dinner last night.

“I wish to speak to his Lordship,” she said.

“Good morning, miss,” the butler replied politely. “I’ll tell his Lordship you’re here.”

Thalia followed him and he led her across the hall and showed her into an attractive room that she thought from its appearance must be the morning room or used perhaps only for a caller like herself who arrived without an appointment.