It was an hour before Harry came out of Scotland Yard and joined Becket. The lamps along the Embankment had been lit and the Thames gleamed an oily black as it slid past on its way to the sea.

‘I think we should leave any further investigation until tomorrow,’ said Harry, much to Becket’s relief.

‘And where do we go tomorrow?’ asked Becket.

‘We’re going to take a trip to 19 Sordey Street in Whitechapel. Dolores’s father had a shop there, or I’m sure he had, because that’s an address I found in that box.’

As soon as they reached the house in Chelsea, Becket put on an apron and went down to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Daisy had turned out to be a quite dreadful cook. Daisy joined him and gave him a fierce hug.

‘Later,’ said Becket. ‘We’ve got to get the captain’s dinner ready. I’ll grill some lamb chops – that’s quick and easy. Thank goodness he likes a simple meal. There’s apple pie and cream for dessert.’

After he had taken Harry’s dinner up to him, Becket laid the kitchen table for himself and Daisy.

‘We’re going to see that Dolores woman’s father, or rather where the father used to have a shop,’ said Becket, deftly putting lamb chops, vegetables and potatoes on a plate and putting it in front of Daisy.

‘And where’s that?’ asked Daisy. Becket served up his own food and joined her at the table.

‘It’s in Whitechapel, 19 Sordey Street.’

Daisy made a mental note. She decided it would not be wise to tell Becket that Rose meant to go there herself. He would protest and tell the captain and then she would have another day on her own with nothing to do.

‘We’ll need to ask the captain to get us that apartment,’ said Daisy. ‘And you will then need to discuss your hours with him.’

‘How can I do that? Servants don’t get time off, apart from one week a year.’

‘And I was supposed to work. You must ask him about that.’

‘I think he is being considerate because of the baby coming.’

‘But you don’t know! Honestly, it’s more like you were married to him instead of to me!’

The next morning, after they had left, Daisy took a cab to the earl’s residence. Rose was delighted to see her. ‘I talked to Mama, and she is agreeable. We’d better take a cab so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Your hat is too grand, Daisy. I’ll give you a plain one to wear.’

Daisy removed her cartwheel straw hat embellished with sprigs of artificial lavender and reluctantly put on a plain straw boater. Rose was wearing a blouse and skirt with a light coat and a broad-brimmed felt hat without any embellishment.

‘We must get out before Mama wakes or she will insist on sending footmen with us,’ said Rose. ‘This is fun! Quite like old times.’

‘Rose,’ said Daisy cautiously, ‘have you considered that if Jeffrey did not kill his sister and that Frenchwoman, there might be a murderer out there?’