‘Oh, well, that’s different.’ Lady Lyndon beamed, patting Annie’s hand. ‘Of course I want to see you happy, my dear. We’ll talk about it in the morning.’

‘You could stay here for the night, my dear.’ Arabella turned to Kate, smiling. ‘The rooms have been made ready and you don’t want to return to an empty house, do you, Kate? I know we’ve had our differences in the past, but we can start afresh.’

‘Of course we can, Mama. But you needn’t worry about my safety. There are plenty of servants to look after me in Finsbury Square. Ivy, Ted and Augustus will be staying, too. We can all fit into the barouche and Goodfellow will drive us.’

‘You can’t travel in the same carriage as your servants, Kate.’ Arabella’s eyes widened in horror.

‘They are my friends, Mama. Anyway, I’m too tired to argue.’ Kate turned to Harry. ‘Look after your mother, I’ll be perfectly fine.’ She reached up to kiss his cheek. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

He nodded. ‘All right, if that’s what you want. We have a lot to talk about.’

Despite the fact that she was exhausted, Kate could not sleep. The house in Finsbury Square seemed even larger than ever, and haunted with echoes from the past. The memories it held were not particularly happy ones: living with a domineering father and a mother who had shown little interest in Kate as a child had not made for a warm and comfortable home. What she had found in Warren House was priceless, and that was where her true destiny lay. She fell asleep eventually but awakened early and she knew exactly what she must do. Harry would understand.