He laughed. ‘You have airs and graces coming out of those pretty little ears, don’t you, and what are you but a jumped-up laundry worker. You might look down your nose at the rest of us but them that aim highest fall furthest, remember that. As for me an’ Ellie, I’ll thank you to mind your own business.’

‘Ellie’s well-being is my business.’

‘Not any more, sweetheart.’

‘She needs someone to look after her.’

He didn’t answer her for a moment, instead saying to Ellie, ‘You satisfied I’m going to look after you, love?’ and when Ellie nodded, he raised his eyebrows at Ruby. ‘From the horse’s mouth, or as near as dammit.’ Then the mocking persona vanished and he took Ellie’s arm, pulling her down off the step onto the pavement whereupon he moved into the doorway so that Ruby was forced backwards along the hall. Bending over her so close she could smell his tobacco breath, he murmured, ‘You interfere in my affairs again and I’ll make sure you regret it, got that? I don’t want to see hide nor hair of you, m’lady, and I’m telling Ellie to have nowt to do with you from now on. She won’t be coming back to work so your paths won’t cross again.’

‘You can’t do that.’ In spite of herself, her voice trembled. She had been right about him; he was unprincipled, bad. Oh, Ellie, Ellie, what have you done?

‘Don’t fool yourself.’ He smiled a smile that wasn’t a smile. ‘You think you’re so clever, don’t you, with your fancy meetings with them other men haters. Oh, aye, Ellie’s told me all about it. But what you don’t realize is that you can’t win, none of you. It’d only take one dark night and you on your own for you to be brought down a peg and know who’s boss. That’s what you women were made for, to serve men.’

For a moment she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He was threatening her. He was actually threatening her with rape? If he had thought to intimidate her, it had the opposite effect. Now it was Daniel who retreated in surprise and nearly fell down the step as she all but sprang at him, her eyes flashing as she pushed him as hard as she could. ‘Get out of here, you filthy-minded swine,’ she hissed.

As he joined Ellie on the pavement, it was Ellie who said, ‘What’s wrong, what’s the matter?’

Knowing Daniel had spoken so softly that her friend had been unable to hear, Ruby tried to speak, dragging in a long gasp of air through the shock that had gripped her before she could say, ‘He threatened me.’