So that she could not escape they sat one on each side of her and she was sandwiched between them.

As the carriage drove off, she said quickly,

“Please – you are making a great – mistake. I live just across the other side of the road and that is – where I must – return.”

“You can tell that to Kate!” one of the men said. “She’ll know ’ow to deal with the likes of you!”

“You don’t understand,” Honora said miserably. “I merely came from my house because I thought I could go into the Park and sit under the trees for a few minutes. They will – worry when I don’t – return.”

She thought as she spoke that the Duke would think it very strange when he went up to her bedroom to find her gone.

She wondered if the footman would tell him that she had left the house and if he would think that even stranger.

She had no idea what the men intended to do with her and she was so frightened that she had nothing more to say as she sat jammed between them.

She was quite certain if she screamed or made a fuss the cabman driving the Hackney carriage would take no notice of her.

‘What can I – do? What – can I do?’ she thought frantically.

She suddenly had an idea and said,

“If it is money you want, take me back and I will pay you whatever you want for doing so.”

“We’re takin’ you to see Kate and that’s all there is about it,” the man said almost as if it was a lesson he had learned by heart.

“Who is – Kate?”

“You’ll find out when we gets there! And there ain’t no point makin’ a fuss, that’s for sure!”

Honora wondered frantically what she should do.

She had a feeling that there was no use in trying any more arguments with these two men, who seemed rather stupid.

She thought perhaps Kate, whoever she might be, would be intelligent enough to realise that she could not disappear from Tynemouth House without there being a hue and cry for her.

They were driving now through streets bright with lights and there seemed to be quite a number of people about.

Then, as Honora was still wondering whether she should appeal once again to the men who were holding her to all intents and purposes prisoner, the carriage came to a standstill.

She glanced through the window and saw that there were two lanterns outside a tall house with steps leading up to a front door, which also had a light over it.

The men climbed out of the carriage, one paid the cabman and then with one on each side of her, as if they were afraid that she would run away, they walked up the steps.

The front door was ajar and they pushed it open.

As they entered, Honora saw that the house was larger than she would have expected. There was a hall out of which opened a number of doors and a staircase leading to the next floor, over the banisters of which two women were leaning.