‘The decision is already made. You wish to withdraw from the play and it’s only fair to advise the manager of the emergency as soon as possible so that Miss Glenn can be rehearsed throughout the day.’ He got up from the table. ‘Unless you have anything else to say, I’ll ride to Covent Garden immediately and break the news. It will cause alarm, of course – that’s inevitable – but there’ll be no cancellation. The audience will see a Lady Macbeth onstage this evening, albeit one without any of your intensity and brilliance.’

‘Wait a moment,’ she said.

‘You wish to come with me?’

‘No, I don’t.’

‘It would make more sense if you did so, Hannah. You could explain exactly why you are unable to face the challenge of two more performances in the role. If you stayed for the rehearsal,’ he went on, ‘you’d be able to pass on some advice to Miss Glenn. She’d be eternally grateful for it, I’m sure.’

Hannah fell silent. She was brooding.

When he knocked on the door of the shooting gallery, the man was surprised when it was opened by a woman. He’d never expected someone so beautiful, well dressed and relatively young to work at such an establishment but that is what Charlotte Skillen had been doing for some time. She conducted the visitor into the office and reached for the appointments book, opening it at the appropriate page.

‘What sort of instruction do you require, sir?’ she asked. ‘We have bookings for the rest of this week but there are some gaps after that.’

‘I’ve come to speak to Mr Skillen,’ said the man, nervously.

‘Which Mr Skillen do you mean? We have two here – Peter Skillen, my husband, and Paul, his brother. The latter, I fear, is otherwise engaged at the moment.’

‘Then I’ll speak to your husband, please. It’s urgent.’

‘He’ll be finishing a fencing lesson any moment,’ she said. ‘Sit down while you wait, Mr …?’

‘Hooper. Seth Hooper.’

‘Make yourself comfortable, Mr Hooper.’

Lowering himself into a chair, he remained tense and anxious. Charlotte appraised him. He was a stocky man of medium height and middle years, with bushy side whiskers holding his face in position like a pair of hirsute bookends. She could see the perspiration on his brow. His accent told her that he came from somewhere much further north. Wearing apparel that was manifestly too tight for him, he was almost squirming with embarrassment. Dealing with a well-educated woman like her was evidently a novel experience for him.

‘May I know what brought you here?’ she asked, politely.

‘This place was well-spoken-of.’

‘We aim to please, Mr Hooper.’

‘They say as how you … solve terrible crimes.’

‘Both my husband and his brother have dedicated their lives to doing just that. They’ll give you all the help you need. What crime has occurred?’