‘You decided it for me, Kate. Of course I want to be with Joe, but we will have plenty of time together when we set sail for home, and I never want to be so far away from him again. But I know you won’t leave here without Harry, so I don’t see that I have any choice.’

Sir Robert refilled his glass with claret. ‘I see that I have two very determined young ladies at my table.’

‘You have, sir,’ Kate agreed, raising her full wineglass to her lips. ‘I am determined to do this with or without your permission.’

‘Then it seems I can do nothing to stop you. However, I have access to information that would be denied to you. Give me a day or two and I’ll make enquiries. If I am unsuccessful then I will happily put my carriage at your disposal and Sandeep can accompany you, but hopefully that will not be necessary.’

Kate could see the sense in what he was saying, and although she agreed with this in principle, she found it almost impossible to comply with his wishes. For the next three days she arose from her comfortable bed each morning wondering what the day would bring. Apart from accompanying Annie to the hospital there was very little she could do. Sir Robert left soon after breakfast and was driven to his office in the city, where he spent all day, returning in time for dinner each evening. He had nothing to report until on the fourth day, when Kate was growing more and more restive, he announced that he had spoken to an army official who confirmed that Sir Harry Lyndon had been making certain enquiries, about which he was not authorised to comment. However, the official had hinted that a trip on the relatively new railway to Thana might hold the answer to their questions.

Kate was mystified by this. It was Harry’s first visit to India, so why would he want to travel to Thana? She could hardly believe that this piece of information might lead to Harry, but she was determined to follow up the suggestion, even though Sir Robert said it would be a wild-goose chase.