Kate met Monks’ gaze squarely. ‘I will visit him in prison, and I’ll tell him what you just said.’

‘Make it sound good, love. I ain’t playing games. I got a reputation to keep up, but if you fail you’d best remember what happened to the soup kitchen.’

‘I’ve said I will speak to him. I can do no more than that.’

Monks picked up his battered top hat and put it on at an angle. ‘You’d best try your hardest, girl. You’ve seen what I can do, so don’t think you can get the better of me.’ He tipped his hat to Arabella with a mocking smile and sauntered out of the room.

Kate hurried over to her mother, going down on her knees in front of her. ‘You mustn’t let him scare you, Mama. He’s a thug and a bully.’

Arabella gazed into the distance, her breath coming in short gasps. ‘He’ll kill us and burn the house to the ground.’

‘I won’t allow that to happen, Mama.’

‘You silly girl, how do you think you can stop a man like that? Your father kept the sordid side of his work from me, but I’ve seen and heard enough of these dreadful people to know that they do awful things. We escaped being murdered in Delhi, but now we’re facing danger in our own country and our own home.’ Arabella’s eyes focused on her daughter’s face. ‘But it isn’t my home, is it? This house and the money that your father should have inherited all belong to you.’

‘Mama, stop saying these things. This is still your home. I told you that. I never wanted the money or the house. I’ll give it all to you if it would make you happy.’

‘Happy?’ Arabella’s voice rose to a shriek. ‘How can I be happy without your father? We loved each other, which is something you can’t understand. I know that you refused Peregrine’s offer of marriage. He came here to see me, brokenhearted. You are a cruel girl, Kate.’

‘He only offered to marry me out of pity and a sense of duty, Mama. Perry doesn’t love me any more than I love him.’ Kate stood up and backed away. ‘This is getting us nowhere. I think the best thing I can do is to get you away from here to somewhere safe.’

‘Leave me alone, Kate. I feel one of my headaches coming on.’

‘I’ll send Miss Barnet to you, Mama.’ Kate hurried from the room and made her way to the servants’ quarters where she found Miss Barnet in the sewing room.

‘Miss Barnet, I’ve decided that my mother needs a change of scene. I hope a sojourn in the country will help to raise her spirits.’