Carina had a quick glimpse of a number of men sitting at green baize tables. There was an atmosphere of smoke and there were wine glasses beside the hands that held cards. It was a sight that she had seen all too often before she thought with a sudden stab in her heart and then the door was closed.

She looked up at the man who was standing facing them.

Her first impression was that he was the best-looking man she had ever seen – and then she saw that there was something dissolute about the lines under his eyes and something hard and cynical in the twist of his lips.

“What is it, Newman?” he asked sharply.

“A lady, my Lord. She has just arrived and says it’s important that she should see you.”

“At this hour of the night?”

The man stared across the intervening space between himself and Carina with such a look of hostility that it gave her quite a shock. Then his eyes travelled from her face down to the child standing at her side. His voice was sharp as he addressed her.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

Carina drew in a deep breath.

“Perhaps it would be best if I could speak to you alone,” she suggested a little nervously.

“Why? I am engaged,” Lord Lynche replied. “Call in the morning if you must and make an appointment. Newman will know when I am free.”

He would have turned away, but Carina put out her hand.

“I am sorry,” she said, “I realise it is an inconvenient time to arrive, but it was unavoidable. I have to see you – it is something that concerns you personally.”

“Concerns me? What the devil – !” Lord Lynche retorted.

She realised that, although he was not drunk, he had been drinking. There was a slight unsteadiness in his gait and a slight thickening of his vowels that told her all too clearly that he was not entirely sober.

“Look here,” he went on before she could speak, “if you are begging, I will settle with you now so that I can have a little peace. What will you take, a fiver? That’s a good deal more than I have won tonight, I can promise you that!”

“No, no – ” Carina replied. “I am not begging. Please let me see you alone for a moment and I will explain.”

“Look here, my dear young woman,” Lord Lynche said, “I am in the middle of entertaining my guests. I have no time to listen to your story however pitiful and however worthy it may be. Besides, such things bore me. Take what I offer you or go away empty-handed. You cannot say I am anything but generous.”

His eyes searched her face and she felt that if she had not been attractive he would not have wasted as much time on her as he had done already.