Miss Jubbles felt a lump in her throat as she opened a cupboard and took out the pretty cups and saucers reserved for guests. She went out into the corridor and into the toilet, where she filled the kettle at the sink. Once back in the office, she pulled out the gas ring by the fire, lit it, and placed the kettle on it.

She arranged three cups on a tray, then milk and sugar and a plate of Abernethy biscuits. The kettle boiled. She put tea-leaves into a fat yellow china teapot. Miss Jubbles stared at the tray. Sugar tongs. She had forgotten the sugar tongs. She went back to the cupboard and her eye fell on a packet of powdered senna pods. Miss Jubbles suffered from constipation. All at once she thought she saw a way of getting rid of these unwanted guests.

She poured three cups of tea, but to two of the cups she added a spoonful of the senna powder.

Miss Jubbles carried the tray in. She carefully placed the two already poured cups in front of Daisy and Rose and then poured a cup for Harry.

‘Thank you, Miss Jubbles,’ said Harry. ‘That will be all.’

Miss Jubbles retreated.

Rose raised her hand to pick up a cup, but Daisy said, ‘Don’t drink it.’

‘Why?’ asked Rose.

‘There’s some sort of powder floating in it. I bet that Jubbles female put something in our tea.’

‘Come now,’ said Harry. ‘This is not the theatre. She would not dare.’

‘Then get her to drink it.’

Harry looked amused. ‘Very well, Daisy. If it will put your silly fears at rest.’

‘You can’t call her Daisy anymore,’ protested Rose. ‘Now she is my companion, you must address her as Miss Levine.’

Harry went to the door and opened it. ‘Miss Jubbles, would you step in here for a moment?’

Miss Jubbles came in and stood there meekly, her hands folded.

‘Miss Jubbles,’ said Harry, picking up Rose’s cup. ‘Please drink this.’

‘I r-really d-don’t feel l-like drinking tea at the moment,’ stammered Miss Jubbles.

‘It’s simply to put Miss Levine’s fears at rest. She thinks there is something in the tea.’

‘Why, that is ridiculous,’ said Miss Jubbles, turning red. ‘I’ll show you.’ She picked up the cup of tea and drank it down.

‘There!’ she panted.

‘You see, Miss Levine?’ said Harry. ‘I think an apology is in order.’

‘I am very sorry,’ said Daisy.

‘You may go, Miss Jubbles.’

Miss Jubbles retreated to her room and sat there miserably. She had already taken senna powder that morning and knew that this added dose would have dire results.

‘Now, where were we?’ said Harry.

‘Discussing possible blackmail,’ said Rose. ‘I think perhaps you went about it the wrong way.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘To bluntly ask Mrs Stockton whether she was being blackmailed puts her on her guard.’

‘And how would you have gone about it?’