She remembered the sunny day with Roger at Richmond. It seemed very far away now.

At Scotland Yard, Rose took off her wet outer clothes with relief and followed Harry to Kerridge’s office.

‘Come in, Lady Rose,’ said Kerridge. ‘Are you recovered from your ordeal?’

‘I hope so,’ said Rose. ‘I gather you want a detailed statement.’

‘My officer there will take it down. Just begin at the beginning.’

Harry watched Rose anxiously as she began to speak. She described the events of the evening but without describing Roger’s cowardice.

When she had finished, Kerridge said in a fatherly voice, ‘Thank you. I’ll let the captain take you home now. You will need more rest.’

‘Actually, I think I will go and see Daisy.’

‘I’ll take you there,’ said Harry quickly.

Rose gave him a small bleak smile. ‘I would rather see Daisy alone, if you don’t mind.’

‘Then I shall drive you to the hospital. I suggest when you are ready to leave that you telephone Matthew Jarvis and get him to send a carriage for you.’

Another silent journey while Harry tried to think of things to say while Rose sat beside him, her back ramrod-straight and her face shielded by the large umbrella.

At the hospital, Harry made to accompany her into the building, but Rose said, as if speaking to a stranger, ‘No, leave me. I shall do very well.’

And Harry sadly watched her go.

Daisy smiled as Rose walked in. ‘Your mother has just left. Lady Polly has been so kind.’

Rose divested herself of her rain clothes and sat down wearily. ‘Tell me all about it,’ said Daisy.

‘I am tired of talking about it,’ said Rose, but once more she described what had happened.

When she had finished, Daisy asked, ‘But did Roger, Mr Sinclair, not try to rescue you?’

‘It was awful, Daisy. When we first went out on the terrace and he got down on one knee, I knew he was going to propose. And I would have accepted! But then he became so frightened he begged Thomson to let him go. He was prepared to run away and leave me to my fate. I thought he was so strong and adventurous and yet he just crumbled.’

‘Not like the captain?’

‘No, not like him.’

‘Your parents must be very grateful to the captain. Before she left, Lady Polly said, ‘I’ll need to let them marry now.’

‘I don’t think I want to marry Harry.’

‘Go on!’

‘You know, Daisy, I am tired of being society’s rebel. When I was with Roger, things seemed so gay and easy. I began to see how happy I would be with someone cheery and undemanding. I do not want any more adventures. But don’t look at me like that. You have your Becket, and all’s well that ends well.’

‘I don’t want to be married,’ said Daisy in a small voice. ‘I want to go back to the way things were.’

‘You are depressed because of the loss of your baby.’