‘Oh, no. Poor woman. Can I see her?’

‘She’s been given a hefty dose of laudanum. I think it’s best to leave it for a while. You’ll probably see her on the ward on Monday.’

‘Yes, I suppose you’re right,’ Daisy said reluctantly. ‘But there are children at home, waiting for their parents to return. Will anyone check on the family?’

‘We have enough trouble treating our patients, let alone their offspring.’ Nick patted her on the shoulder. ‘We take care of the sick. That’s the best we can do, Daisy.’

She nodded. ‘Yes, I see that.’

‘I’m not really supposed to be here,’ Nick added gently. ‘Why don’t you take a seat while I hand over the patient to the houseman on duty? Then we can decide where we’ll go from here. I have the whole day off, so you can choose what you would like to do.’

She caught him by the sleeve as he was about to walk away. ‘Has anyone told Mrs Begg that her husband has passed away?’

Nick shook his head. ‘Not yet, but someone will have to break it to her when she’s in a fit state to take the news.’

Daisy absorbed this in silence, but she could not put the accident from her mind, nor the plight of Hilda and her family. Nick was right, of course: there was nothing she could do. She could only hope that perhaps that Hilda had relatives or a kind neighbour who could help them through this terrible time. Daisy settled down to wait for Nick to hand the poor woman over to the hospital doctors.

The Begg family were constantly on her mind despite the fact that Nick did his best to entertain her. He took her on the underground train to Baker Street, which was an experience in itself. The gas-lit wooden carriages were hot and dusty and the windows had to be kept closed to keep out the smoke. Daisy was nervous at first, but then she began to enjoy the experience, although it was a relief to leave the train and emerge from the station into the relatively fresh air at Baker Street.

‘As it’s reasonably fine in between showers, I thought it would be nice to visit the Zoological Gardens, Daisy.’

‘I went there once when my aunt and uncle took me as a treat on my tenth birthday.’

‘And I thought we’d go to Harley Street first. I want you to see where I live and work.’

‘It will be nice to see a consultant’s house. Is it very grand?’

‘Wait and see.’

The consultant’s house in Harley Street was in the middle of an elegant terrace. Nick showed Daisy round the beautifully appointed consulting rooms, and his small apartment, which was on the fourth floor, just below the servants’ rooms in the attics. They did not stay long, even though the family were not at home, and after a quick lunch in a small café they walked to the Zoological Gardens. After everything that had happened in the last few months it was good to relax and enjoy the sights. Even so, the terrible accident that morning was never far from Daisy’s thoughts.