‘Your ma is safe,’ Ivy said in a low voice. ‘I think Lady Lyndon is with her, but I never saw such a to-do in all me born days. My Ted got one of Monks’ men. He knocked him down with one swipe to the jaw.’

‘Stay here and don’t move,’ Kate said urgently. She had seen Monks edging towards the only way of escape and no one else seemed to have noticed. After everything he had put them through she was not going to allow him to get away and, regardless of her own safety, she managed to dodge flailing arms as she tried to reach Joe, who was standing guard by the double doors.

‘Look out, Joe,’ she cried in desperation. ‘Stop Monks – he’s trying to get away.’

Despite the uproar in the ballroom, Joe heard her warning cry. Wielding one of his crutches like a battle axe, he caught Monks a blow to the head that sent him crashing to the floor. With a victorious shout, Joe launched himself on top of the fallen man, pinning him to the ground until a burly police sergeant came to his aid. The sergeant helped Joe to his feet while a constable tied Monks’ wrists behind his back. Kate found herself caught up in the tumult once again, and it was almost impossible to distinguish between the men who had come to rob them and the gentlemen who were guests. The screams of women echoed off the high ceiling together with the muted sobbing of those who had managed to scramble to safety.

The musicians had stopped playing at the first sign of trouble and they snatched up their precious instruments, keeping them out of danger. Kate managed to get to the edge of the fray by following the cellist, who carried his instrument on his back like some bizarre tortoise. She stumbled over an insensate body and would have fallen, but was caught in a pair of strong arms.

‘Kate, are you all right?’

Harry’s voice was like music to her ears and she breathed a sigh of relief. ‘They’ve got Monks, Harry. It’s over.’

‘Thanks you to, my darling. Monks won’t be going anywhere except the police cells.’

Kate moved aside as a woman dived down to rescue her pearl necklace. She waved it in Kate’s face.

‘This is a precious family heirloom. We were invited to a grand ball, but we were robbed at gun point.’

Kate had no idea who this woman was, but she felt obliged to apologise. ‘I am so sorry, ma’am.’

‘Don’t apologise, my dear. I’ve never had such an exciting evening in my life. I hope there is plenty more champagne. Fasten my necklace for me. The evening isn’t over yet.’

Kate fastened the triple strands of pearls around the woman’s neck.