The man sagged at the knees and Caleb released him. Barnwell took a step back, nursing his hand. Caleb braced expecting the man to come for him but a gurgle of female laughter from the stairwell distracted him. Barnwell’s head snapped around as Sissy, clad in a loose robe of red silk, stepped into the bar with Penrose behind her, adjusting his tie as he descended the stairs.

Before Caleb could prevent him, Barnwell lunged at the girl. ‘I might have known you for a thieving whore!’ he screamed.

Sissy shrieked with fright as he descended on her striking her across the face with a heavy back-handed blow that sent her spinning against Penrose, who caught her and thrust her behind him into the stairwell. Penrose hurled himself at Barnwell with a roar. But Barnwell’s fist caught him in the stomach, sending him to the floor, gasping for breath.

Caleb grabbed Barnwell’s shoulder and whirled the man around to face him. Without a second’s hesitation, he slammed his fist into his face, taking satisfaction from the crack as the man’s nose exploded in a fountain of blood. Barnwell went down.

Strong hands pulled Caleb back before he could close in and cause the man further damage.

His fury dissipated as fast as it had come and Caleb shook his right hand, feeling the sting of grazed knuckles and jarred bones.

‘Do you like hitting women?’ Caleb seethed between gritted teeth. ‘Is that what Adelaide had to look forward to?’

Penrose had regained his feet, still wheezing. He lunged at Barnwell but two burly miners managed to restrain him. ‘Let me at him,’ he shouted. ‘No one hits a lady.’

‘She’s not a lady. She’s a bloody, thieving whore.’ Barnwell slurred his words.

Lil pushed past them. Taller and stronger than the Englishman, she hauled him up by the shirt collar. ‘I thought I told you to stay out. If the doc ’ere ’adn’t given you a blood nose, I’d’ve done worse. I’ve a mind to report you to the police for your night’s work. If you’ve any sense, you’ll leave Maiden’s Creek in the morning.’ She thrust him towards the door. The other men parted before her, one even going to the trouble of opening the door to allow her to throw Barnwell out onto the street. She slammed the door and turned to face her regulars, her hands on her ample hips. ‘Is someone going to explain to me what that was about?’ she demanded.

The two miners holding Penrose released him and he knelt in front of Sissy, who huddled on the stairs with Jess and Nell crouched protectively over her.

He looked up at Caleb. ‘Yes, I’d like to know what’s going on?’ he said. ‘Was it Barnwell who hurt you before, Sis?’