‘Open the gate or so help me God, I will slit your throat open as neatly as you sliced off her wings,’ she says. Her voice as full of ice as her eyes are of fire.

‘Please, I cannot!’ he says. ‘I cannot. I will lose everything.’

‘Yes!’ she says, jabbing the knife in his direction. ‘You can and you will.’

But Etta has no need to put her threat into practice for Charlie’s attempt at lock-picking has succeeded.

Mary reaches for Charlie’s hand instinctively, holds it tight as the gate slowly swings open to reveal Mr Meake standing in the hallway in front of them and behind him, behind him . . . No, she will never know quite how to describe it. This elegant woman with her brown skin and black curls, huge russet wings fanning out behind her, white gown like something from a painting draped around her. She will never know how to tell of the blaze in the woman’s eyes, the power that emanates from her. She is a goddess. She is a miracle. It is the most impossible, most magnificent, most wondrous sight.

Annie gasps. She cannot take it in. She cannot process it. This extraordinary creature here, in her own basement! How long has she been here? How long has he kept her here?

Etta takes the initiative as all fall silent around her.

‘Give me the keys to the cells!’ she says, but Edward has his back to her. The gate opened, he is undone, unable to take his eyes away from his wife who looks at him with such horror, stares at him as if he were a monster.

Mary is the first from the servants’ side of the gate to recover her senses. Charlie is all eyes, he cannot speak, cannot think. She bends to his ear. ‘Charlie, go out and tell Uncle Jos what has happened. We shall meet you out there shortly. Flag down a cab so we can make good our escape at the end of the street.’

Annie steps forward, walks slowly up to her husband.

‘Give me the keys,’ she commands, steel in her voice now.

‘Annie . . . please . . .’ But his secret is out, the genie cannot be put back into the bottle – all is lost, and he has nothing else to say.

‘They are in his waistcoat pocket,’ says Etta from behind him and Annie reaches into Edward’s pocket and takes them. He offers no resistance, feeling as if all the bones in his body are disintegrating, as if he is nothing but jelly.

‘What have you done?’ she whispers angrily to him. ‘Oh, Edward! What have you done?’

Mary runs forward, dashing down the hallway, past Annie and Edward as Charlie heads outside.

‘Miss Lockhart?’ Mary says as Etta looks down at her, eyes piercing through her. ‘I am Mary Ward and I am here to rescue you.’