‘I thought I wouldn’t be, Nance, not after what I did. I didn’t know if I could show my face. But then I thought: running away’s not right, is it? Not when you done something wrong. The only thing that puts anything right is to stay where you are, on your own two feet, and hold your hands up to it and take what’s coming. So I went and found Miss Marchmont. Crack of dawn, New Years’ Day. I went and stood on her doorstep and told her everything I done, and why I did it. I swore I’d never set foot in the Buckingham again, if that was what she wanted. But, well, it’s Miss Marchmont, isn’t it? Miss Marchmont’s heart doesn’t work like that. She seemed to understand . . . Everyone’s just trying to do the best for the people they got, aren’t they, Nance?’ For a fleeting moment, Billy’s shame crossed his face. Then he brightened. ‘Miss Marchmont said she’d see me here, ready to start the year anew. Well, she can’t give up either, can she? Not with a mouth to feed. Not with her secret safe . . .’ Billy paused. ‘At least that old serpent Simenon won’t be going after you every time he sees you now, will he Nance? You see, I was your knight in shining armour after all . . .’

‘Billy, you have the best heart. Don’t ever change.’

In an instant, Billy’s face was bright red with embarrassment.

‘Billy,’ Nancy said, ‘there’s something I wanted to ask . . .’

This seemed to perk Billy up. ‘If it’s another trip to the Midnight Rooms,’ he joked, ‘maybe you can ask somebody else?’

I’m just going to concentrate on whatever Mr Charles needs, he thought, because there’s bound to be something, isn’t there? War still going on in Spain and the National Socialists on the march in Germany. More and more blackshirts on the city streets out east. New Year’s gone, but the world keeps turning. There’ll still be secrets. There’ll still be spies. There’ll still be guests coming through this hotel that need watching . . .

‘Nothing like that.’ Nancy grinned – though, privately, she wondered if there might be a trip to the Midnight Rooms again, one where she could dance openly with Raymond, far away from the prying eyes of the Buckingham Hotel. ‘It’s only that . . . I wondered if the Buckingham might ever want more pages? There’s so many of you already but maybe there’s room for another? It’s my brother. I left him at home and I promised . . . Well, families should be together, shouldn’t they? It doesn’t seem right not to have your family around.’