He wondered more and more how Rose was getting on. He thought she must be furious with him because he had neither received a letter nor a telephone call.

Harry had successfully and profitably wound up several cases. To stop himself from brooding about Rose, he decided to travel to Paris and interrogate this Madame de Peurey.

‘Excuse me, sir, are we leaving without seeing Lady Rose? Anglican convents allow visitors,’ said Becket. ‘Good idea,’ said Harry. ‘We’ll go there tomorrow.’

Rose and Daisy had entered into the work routine of the convent. There were to be no more visits to fallen women for them. They worked in the bakery, in the garden and scrubbed and hung out the sheets on washing day.

Conversation was allowed in the bakery, and Rose enjoyed the chatter and the warmth as they helped bake batches of loaves and parcelled them up, as the loaves were destined for various schools owned by the convent, along with the homes for fallen women. Rose was worried about Daisy. She was too quiet and subdued.

The hard work and the routine soothed them and yet they waited for what they thought would be the right time to escape. They both had keys to the earl’s town house and planned to slip in and collect Rose’s jewels, which she had not been able to take with her.

Daisy had suggested they should go out of London to sell them to some jeweller who would not ask questions, even if it meant they would not get a very good price.

They were working in the garden, hanging out sheets, when they heard the sound of a motor car’s engine. The sound stopped and then they heard the clang on the entry bell.

They both looked at each other in sudden hope. Usually arrivals came by horse and carriage.

Then, after a few moments, they heard the motor car drive off.

‘Not them,’ said Daisy miserably.

‘Silence!’ commanded Sister Agnes.

How they had talked and talked about escaping, thought Rose, and how each day merged into the next without them doing anything.

The following morning when they were working in the bakery, Sister Agnes came in looking flustered. ‘Rose! Daisy! You have a very important visitor. Please present yourself in the Mother Superior’s parlour. No, no, take off your aprons.’

They followed Sister Agnes to the parlour. She held open the door for them and then left.

Lady Janus, the Mother Superior, smiled benignly on them. ‘Your old friend and a great benefactor of this convent, the Duchess of Warnford, has graciously called.’ A little lady rose to greet them. She was wrapped in various shawls and scarves. Under her large brimmed hat was a wrinkled, heavily rouged face.

‘My dear.’ She rushed forward and embraced Rose and whispered, ‘Do as you are told.’

Raising her voice, the duchess said, ‘I heard you were here and I have asked Lady Janus to permit me to take you to my home for a short stay.’