‘That is why,’ Thalia told herself, as she reached for the cloak she had worn when she dined with the Earl to put over her thin gown, ‘he must never know who I really am.’

Her whole being cried out in an agony at the thought of going away, of disappearing and never letting him know what had happened to her.

Then suddenly she remembered what had happened today.

Strangely, it was the first time it had occurred to her since her father’s return that she had tried to save him from being arrested by repaying the money he owed, which the Earl had given to her at luncheontime.

His arrival had swept everything from her mind except, of course, her love for the Earl.

She went back into the drawing room.

Hannah was there wrapping her mother in shawls so that she would not be cold on the journey.

“I want to speak to you, Papa,” Thalia said.

“What is it, my dearest?” he asked. “Now I look at you I see that you have grown extremely attractive while I have been away.”

“Thank you, Papa, but this is important.”

She drew him out of the drawing room and into her own tiny bedroom.

“Listen, Papa, there is no time to explain now, although I will tell you later, but I need to have one thousand pounds immediately. Is that possible?”

“One thousand pounds” her father asked. “Whatever for?”

“It is a debt of honour. Something you owed and which you forgot to pay before you left England.”

“One thousand pounds.”

He put his hand up to his forehead.

“My God! It’s the money I lost to Dandish!”

“Yes, I know. He has threatened to have you arrested the moment you arrived in England.”

“Well, I will soon put that right,” Sir Denzil said.

“I have done so already,” Thalia replied, “but I must repay the money now you are here and at once!”

“But of course,” Sir Denzil agreed. “Who was kind enough to rescue me from the heavy hand of the Law?”

He spoke jokingly and Thalia answered,

“There is no time for questions and I don’t want Mama to know what has happened. It would upset her. Can you give me the one thousand pounds now?”

“If you had told me earlier, it might have been easier,” Sir Denzil said, “but, wait a minute! I have a Bearer Bond with me.”

“Does it bear your name?” Thalia asked quickly.

“No. As a matter of fact I called the issue after the place where I found the gold mine.”

“Then that is all right,” Thalia said, “as I do not wish the person to whom I am sending it to know who you are.”

Her father looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face, then, as he was about to speak, Lady Caversham called from the drawing room,

“I am ready, Denzil!”