Meanwhile the clerk was watching him go with an offended look on his face. Some people have no manners, he thought to himself, then lifting his newspaper he settled back in his seat and forgot all about the rude fellow as he became immersed in the news again.

In London, Kitty was preparing to go out although Maggie couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t seem too enthusiastic about it. Maggie couldn’t blame her. The things Kitty had confided to her were haunting her and she desperately wished that she could help her friend, but Kitty had been adamant that the secret must remain between just the two of them.

All of a sudden she blurted out, ‘Why don’t you let me come with you? Nothing could happen if I was there, and we could tell a white lie. We could say that Ruby had decided that you weren’t to go out on your own again.’

‘It wouldn’t work.’ Kitty sighed. ‘I know you mean well and I’m grateful for your concern, really I am, but I think it would only make things worse. The men I’m entertaining have told Richard that if I don’t do as they wish, they will send the photographs to the newspapers.’ She shuddered at the thought of it. ‘Can you imagine the shame of it? If you really want to help, Maggie, will you pour me a large glass of wine? It relaxes me and dulls what lies ahead. Still, it won’t be for ever. Richard says the men concerned will soon tire of me and be off in search of fresh prey, and then we can become a real couple and start to plan our lives.’

Maggie reluctantly poured the drink and handed it to Kitty, who knocked it back in one go. ‘Ugh! It wouldn’t be so bad if I actually liked the stuff,’ she said afterwards.

Something else then occurred to Maggie. ‘What if Richard decides to enlist in the Army?’ she asked. ‘What will happen then?’

‘He won’t do that.’ Kitty shrugged her arms into the sleeves of her coat. ‘I was concerned that he might, but he informed me that he has no intentions of doing any such thing.’

‘But what if they make it law that every man under a certain age has to go?’ Maggie pressed.

‘Richard assures me that his father has friends in very high places so that isn’t likely to happen. As he often tells me, “money talks” and Richard’s family have plenty of that.’

Maggie was secretly disgusted. Had she been a man she would certainly have gone to fight for King and Country, but it seemed that Richard wasn’t quite as brave as he tried to make out. Why should he be exempt from the war when thousands of other young men were marching off to fight?

Kitty reluctantly headed for the door then, with Tallulah close on her heels. ‘Now you stay with Maggie and be a good girl,’ she said as she scooped the little bundle of fluff up and kissed her soundly on her wet nose. She then passed her over into Maggie’s arms and without another word left the room, deciding that she might just as well go and get whatever lay ahead over and done with.