Feeling his world tumbling into turmoil around him, he walked slowly home, head down, hands clenched tightly behind his back as he tried to frame the words he would use to attempt to persuade Kitty of his blamelessness in this whole sorry mess. It began to rain, and he realised that he had left his cape at the castle in his haste to find Kitty. By the time he reached his lodgings in Fostertown he was soaked through. The caretaker of the house frowned as he saw Arthur dripping in the hall. He began to speak but Arthur cut him off.‘Earnshaw, how much to draw me a bath?’

‘Cold will cost you threepence, sir. Hot will be sixpence.’

‘I’ll give you a shilling if you can have a hot bath ready within the half-hour.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Arthur started towards the stairs but the caretaker called out to him. ‘Sir!’

‘What is it?’

‘There’s someone waiting to see you, sir. In the parlour.’ The caretaker smiled. ‘A proper lady, sir.’

‘Oh, Christ . . .’Arthur muttered. For an instant he desperately hoped it was a coincidence.Then he cursed himself. Of course it wasn’t. Kitty had already received the news. He stared down at the floor for a moment before he summoned enough resolve to straighten up and walk steadily towards the parlour door. He opened the door and saw Kitty sitting in a chair by the window. Over her shoulder the rain streaked the cheap glass and made the outside world waver indistinctly. She stared at him, lips drawn in a tight line across her ashen face.

‘Hello, Kitty.’ Arthur nearly let himself smile, but stopped just in time. ‘I tried to find—’

‘How dare you?’ she interrupted harshly.

‘Kitty!’ Arthur took a step towards her, and she flinched as before a vile serpent.

‘Stay back, Arthur. I think I should be sick if you came any closer. In all the time I have known you I never once suspected that you could behave in such a low, calculating, ungentlemanly manner.There’s a good man, I told myself. Honest, charming and intelligent. Well, now you’ve made the stupidest, most wretched mistake of your life. To think that I loved you. That I wanted to marry you! The very thought makes my flesh creep. I . . .’ Her head lowered and she angrily cuffed away a tear. But it was not enough to stop the raw emotion pouring from her body and her shoulders shuddered as more tears came.

Arthur looked at her, torn by the desire to go and comfort her, and knowing that she would be repelled by the act. He swallowed nervously. ‘Kitty, let me explain. Please.’

She shook her head violently, quickly brushed her eyes and looked up at him defiantly. ‘What is there to explain, Arthur? I know everything. Most of all, I know how you have betrayed me and my family. I feel like such a fool not to have seen through you.’