‘But she’s always seemed to be a truthful girl to me,’ said Paul. ‘I can’t believe that she tricked her way into the house.’

‘It was vital that she did so. Dorothea is in a terrible state.’

‘Why?’

‘If you sit beside me,’ she said, patting the sofa, ‘I’ll tell you.’

‘You don’t need to, Hannah. I think I can guess.’ They sat down together. ‘The poor girl has been seduced by one of those powdered rakes in your company and there are the usual consequences.’

‘It’s nothing like that. Well, it is, but not in the way you suggest.’

‘Stop talking in riddles.’

‘Dorothea is in love.’

‘That’s perfectly natural for a young woman at that age.’

‘She really thought she’d found the man of her dreams. She’s not a fanciful creature. Dorothea has both feet firmly on the ground. That’s why she made sure that the friendship moved at a slow and steady pace.’

‘In other words, she wasn’t swept off her feet by some adventurer like me.’

She elbowed him. ‘Listen, will you? It’s important.’

‘Let me have another guess. He’s lost interest in her.’

‘No – or, possibly, yes. Dorothea is not sure and it’s the uncertainty that’s so maddening. After all the vows he made to her, he just disappeared. She said that it was completely out of character.’

‘He’s a virile young man, Hannah. I’d say that it was absolutely in character.’

‘Don’t keep interrupting. We’re talking about a serious moment in that girl’s life. I’ve never seen anyone in such distress. There was nobody else to whom she could turn. That’s why she came here.’

‘What did you advise?’

‘I told her to have more faith in him. She has to watch and pray.’

‘Suppose that her beau doesn’t return?’

‘He must do, Paul. He’s professed his love a hundred times. She showed me some of the letters he’d written to her. A philanderer would never have done that. Well,’ she continued, ‘you’ve seen Dorothea. If you’d made promises to her, would you walk away from someone as beautiful as that?’

‘No, I wouldn’t. It would be an act of cruelty.’

‘So why did Orsino vanish into thin air?’

Paul gulped. ‘Is that his name?’

‘Yes, he’s an actor – Orsino Price.’

‘Oh dear!’ he sighed.

‘What’s the trouble?’

‘Dorothea is going to need a lot of help from you, Hannah.’

‘Why?’

‘Orsino Price was stabbed to death in Covent Garden yesterday.’

Embarrassed by their lack of progress, the Runners were also bruised by the censure heaped on them by the chief magistrate. As they walked side by side along the street, they were hurt and vengeful.

‘I’d like to wring that scrawny neck of his,’ said Yeomans.

‘Who do you mean, Micah?’ asked Hale. ‘Are you talking about Mr Kirkwood or Mr Clearwater?’