‘I’ve increased the patrols in her favourite stores,’ MacKenzie says, standing taller, as if he imagines that Ruby will see him and be intimidated. He turns back to Harriet. ‘I’ve circulated a description of her around her old haunts.’

‘She will be in Debenham and Freebody this afternoon.’ Harriet flourishes this knowledge before she can stop herself.

‘How do you know this?’ MacKenzie gives her one of his fatherly smiles. ‘Did she tell you?’

‘Yes,’ she says, still bridling at his manner towards her. ‘As it happens, she told me not two hours ago.’

MacKenzie blinks at her. ‘She told you?’

‘Yes.’

Ralph is staring at her, incredulous.

‘Then I had better leave you, Gerald,’ MacKenzie says. ‘If Harriet’s information is correct, then I need to be near Oxford Street.’

Gerald calls for Hanson.

Harriet feels sick. Ruby will be caught now. It will end, and it will be her fault. She puts a hand on the back of the armchair.

‘Well done, Harrio!’ Gerald beams at his daughter, not seeing the dismay on her face. ‘Looks as though you might have helped the inspector find your thief. My clever girl.’

‘Who is not clever enough to have a job, apparently,’ Harriet says, fighting to contain a storm of emotions. ‘A job I rather enjoyed. Mr Pickford has dispensed with my services, thanks to you, Daddy. He said that you wrote to him and asked that I should be relieved of my duties.’

Gerald grasps her shoulders and squeezes her. ‘Well, your place is here, Harriet. You can see that now, I think. Ralph and I are agreed that you should be married sooner rather than later. I appraised him of your own situation, that business in Selfridges, and he has – very chivalrously, I must say – already made the arrangements for next month. And the dear boy will need you more than ever now – yes? This will work out well for him, too. A solid family man, respectable wife, and all that. His career depends on you.’

‘And mine, it appears, is unimportant.’ She twists away from him, stands for a moment, surveying the two men who have decided her future between them, and then turns to leave, desperate to escape.

‘I need to take off my hat.’

She stumbles into the hallway, pushing past Hanson.

Ralph runs after her and grasps her hand.

‘Harriet, we should talk.’

‘I’m not sure that I wish to talk with you, Ralph. At least, not now. You’ll appreciate that discovering my fiancé is embroiled in drug dealing, prostitution, and everything else, has been quite a thing.’

‘Harriet –’

‘And discovering that he enjoys the company of prostitutes for his personal pleasure is quite another.’

‘No, that’s too far. Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘Ridiculous? You didn’t leave the club with Ruby Mills the other night? Take her home? To what is supposed to be our home?’

‘What? How could you know about that?’