Kate smiled vaguely, but she was not convinced. It would take less than half a day for Harry to make the return journey from Thana, and the more she thought about his continued absence the more anxious she grew. She sat in silence for the rest of their visit, allowing Annie time to talk to her brother and tell him the advantages of living in Walthamstow.

By the time that Kate returned to Audley House she had made up her mind, but she was determined to keep her plan a secret from everyone except Mira. Later that evening, when she was sitting in the courtyard after dinner, Kate was enjoying the wonders of the soft and warm India night as she made plans for the next day, and those included Mira, whom she knew she could trust implicitly.

‘You must keep the dupatta over your head and cover as much of your face as possible,’ Mira said anxiously as they were about to leave the house. ‘Your fair hair and blue eyes will mark you out immediately.’

‘Yes, I realise that.’ Kate pulled the silk scarf down further, bending her head so that her face was in deep shadow. ‘Remember, Mira, I am your servant, so I will walk behind you and I’ll keep quiet.’

‘Yes, memsahib.’

Kate giggled. ‘Not memsahib. My name is Leela.’

‘It’s going to be difficult,’ Mira said nervously.

‘You can do it.’ Kate stepped outside. ‘It’s only for a few hours. We’ll visit Thana and be back by nightfall or sooner. I had to tell Annie because I knew she would panic if she woke up to find me gone. She will make excuses for me and no one will even know we’re missing.’

‘It’s fortunate that Mrs Ogilvy visits her friend on the other side of town today,’ Mira said, glancing up and down the street. ‘There’s no one about who might recognise you. We’d better hurry.’

Kate hailed a tonga and when it came to a halt she stood aside, allowing Mira to take precedence. Acting the part perfectly, Mira instructed the tonga wallah to take them to Bori Bunder station, and Kate climbed in beside her. It was early morning but already the sun beat down from an azure sky, and the heat rose mercilessly from the ground. Kate, however, was too excited and nervous to feel anything other than exhilaration tinged with a little fear. They might be going on a wild-goose chase, but at least she would know for certain if this was the same path that Harry had taken three weeks previously. They alighted at the railway station and Mira purchased their tickets for Thana. Kate stood back, head bowed, clutching the dupatta tightly around her head and neck, and to her relief their fellow travellers pushed past, ignoring her as if she had suddenly become invisible.