‘Isn’t there?’ Annette looked at her. ‘I know what it’s like to be dominated by a man and have no escape. I was lucky. I could simply walk away, flee when he was out of the house, but if she marries Simon Barnier she’ll never have that choice. Even when he’s not there, she’ll be surrounded by his people, watching her every move. She’ll be tied to him for life.’

At that moment they heard a bell ring in the kitchen. ‘That’s her bell,’ Annette said, getting to her feet. ‘I’d better go and help her dress for dinner.’

‘Annette, please tread carefully,’ Agathe warned. ‘You must say nothing of your own troubles.’

‘Troubles?’

‘Father Thomas!’ Agathe whispered as if she might be overheard.

‘Don’t worry, Aunt, she knows about him already.’

‘Hélène does? Who told her?’ One look at Annette’s face gave her the answer. ‘Oh, Annette, how could you? If Madame St Clair ever hears that, we shall both be turned out into the street.’

‘Hélène and I agreed that neither of us would tell, so if you don’t, then Madame won’t know, will she? Look,’ she went on, ‘I’ve been through it all, I know what it’s like. Father Thomas and Simon Barnier are exactly the same. They’re bullies. They simply take what they want from a woman… because they’re stronger… because they can.’

The bell rang again, louder and longer than before, and Annette hurried out of the little sitting room and upstairs to Hélène.

Left alone in her sitting room, Agathe thought about what Annette had told her. She did not like Simon Barnier, but unless she changed her mind, Hélène was going to be married to him in two days’ time and there was certainly nothing they could do about it.

She remembered the day, seven years ago, when Father Thomas had found Hélène in the church. She, as the clergy housekeeper, had been called and had taken the child back to the Clergy House to wash and feed her. Agathe had immediately realised that something had happened to her. There had been bruises on her body and it had been clear that she was afraid of men – she was certainly afraid of Father Thomas. Agathe had guessed that someone, somewhere, had been abusing her. She remembered the child’s nightmares, and knew that it was for this reason that Madame St Clair had been determined Hélène should not hear of Annette’s misfortunes. Annette said Hélène had screamed in terror and it was nothing to do with a spider. Agathe feared that she might be right and wondered what had occurred. Had Simon Barnier really hit her? He seemed so cultivated, with such civilised manners. But even if he had done whatever it was, there was surely nothing that she and Annette could do about it.

Upstairs, Hélène let Annette into her room, but as soon as she closed the door, she locked it again so that they would not be disturbed. Annette looked at her. The slap mark had faded, there would be nothing for her parents to see when she went down to dinner, but there was a dullness in her eyes and her face was unnaturally pale.