No wonder Milo Ravensbrook stood in his wife's sickroom and refused to believe one son could have murdered the other. He was facing the loss of all those he loved, except Genevieve and her children, who, through Angus, were his last blood left.

He turned slowly and looked at Enid, then pale-faced, stiff-backed, he walked out, unable to bring himself to speak.

By midday the doctor had been and gone, offering little more than sympathy.

Hester was about to leave for Limehouse, when she almost ran into Monk in the hallway of Ravensbrook House. She stopped abruptly, the instant after he also had seen her.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, but his face was full of relief.

In spite of all her intentions, she felt a surge of pleasure inside her.

She refused to explain or excuse it to herself.

“Lady Ravensbrook is ill. I am caring for her,” she replied.

There was a flicker of black humor in him, almost a kind of perverse satisfaction. “You got tired of Limehouse rather quickly, didn't you? What about Callandra? Is she there all by herself now that you and Lady Ravensbrook have left?”

“I'm on my way there,” she said tartly, anger welling up inside her.

“Very intelligent,” Monk said sarcastically. “Then you can bring the typhoid back here with you, to add to whatever Lady Ravensbrook already has. I hadn't thought you so stupid! Does Lord Ravensbrook know? Perhaps he doesn't realize, but I would have thought better of you.”

“It is typhoid she has,” she replied, looking him straight in the eyes. “It is a risk one runs, nursing fever patients. But as you also pointed out, Callandra has very little other help, except a few local women who are willing but have no experience. The only other one there is Kristian. They have to get some rest, so I imagine they are taking turns. They need someone else to help for a while, even if only so they can leave to buy more supplies.”

His face was pale and he looked considerably shaken, as if what she had said distressed him.

“Is she going to recover?” he asked after a moment.

“I hope so. She'll be very tired, of course, but Kristian will do all he can to--”

“Not Callandra, you fool,” he cut across her. “Lady Ravensbrook. You said she has typhoid.”

“Yes. You seem very slow to grasp the point, but that is why I am here looking after her.”

“So why are you leaving her then?” He jerked his head towards the front door, where she had been going. “Is she well enough to be left alone?” “For heaven's sake, she's not alone,” she snapped furiously. “Genevieve Stonefield is here while I am gone. We are taking turns to do all we can.

Do you think I would walk out and leave a patient? I am used to you being gratuitously offensive, but even you know better than that.”

“Genevieve?” He was surprised.