‘Maybe I am. You can easily find out for yourself. Ask Mrs Pangborn. She’ll tell you, as long as you pay her enough, and don’t threaten to take her to the law. Your first child ended up in a paper parcel, floating down the Sacramento River to the sea; your second child presented complications. Mrs Pangborn accidentally pierced the womb with her instruments, and killed both your wife and your baby-to-be. She covered up her little accident by taking Hannah out of town in her buggy and leaving her there, so that her death would look like a natural miscarriage. But she killed her right enough; or rather your child did; or rather you did.’

Collis was white. He could feel the blood shrinking away from his face and his hands, and he could hardly find the co-ordination to speak.

‘I did?’ he grated. ‘What do you mean? I didn’t even know. My God, Delphine, she didn’t even tell me.’

Delphine slowly moved around the drawing-room. ‘She didn’t tell you because she was afraid for any baby of yours — afraid that it might be rated second-best to your precious railroad.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Neither do I, quite. But that’s what Mrs Pangborn told me. Your wife didn’t want to have any children until the railroad was completed. Mrs Pangborn said she’d promised you that on your wedding day.’

Collis suddenly sat down. ‘My God,’ he said. ‘My God, I can’t believe it. Hannah, and two unborn babies, just for the sake of forty miles of railroad track. Oh, my God.’

Delphine watched him for a while. He was plainly too stunned even to cry. ‘I had to tell you, Collis. It wasn’t the kind of intelligence I could have kept to myself, even if I hadn’t wanted to hurt you.’

‘Well, you’ve hurt me,’ he said, in a choked voice.

She came across and stood beside him for a moment. Then she kissed him, very lightly, on the forehead.

He looked up at her, his eyes unfocused. ‘Are you going now?’ he asked her.

‘Do you want me to?’

‘I’d prefer it if you stayed.’

‘What for? So that I can hurt you some more? Haven’t you had enough, thinking of your baby floating its way down to San Francisco, and your wife bleeding to death in her carriage — all because of you and your obsession?’

Collis was silent for a long time, but eventually he whispered, ‘Stay.’

Delphine shook her head. ‘I’d have to charge you, and you wouldn’t like that. You’re costing me money as it is.’

‘Stay,’ he repeated.

‘No,’ she told him. ‘You deserve to be on your own. You deserve to realise just for one evening where your grand scheme has finally got you. No place at all, but alone.’

‘You whore,’ he said, with pain and disgust.

‘Yes,’ she said, with dignified pleasure.