“In which case, you’d better write to him and tell him to come and fetch you.”

“May I do that?” Honora asked. “I know he will come at once. I realise now that it was very – foolish of me to – leave the house as – I did.”

“Wot your ’usband thinks about it ain’t none of my business,” Kate answered, “but I’m sure ’e’ll be ever so grateful to us for lookin’ after you.”

The way she spoke made Honora stare at her before she asked,

“Are you – holding me to – ransom?”

Jim laughed before he said,

“She’s sharper than we gives ’er credit for, even if ’er didn’t know wot Molly was talkin’ about!”

“You keep your mouth shut!” Kate said rudely. “Yes, Duchess, you bein’ held to ransom and you can only ’ope your ’ubby’ll pay up for you. Otherwise you’ll ’ave to stay wiv me!”

Jim sniggered again, but Kate ignored him.

Honora noticed now that she was holding in her hand a tray on which there was a piece of writing paper and a bottle of ink and a pen.

She set them down on a table that stood in a corner of the room covered with a pink cloth that was spotted with marks from glasses and said,

“Now then, you write to your ’ubby and tell him to come and fetch you quickly, explain that after all the trouble and expense we’ve gone to, we wants three ’undred pounds to let you go!”

“Three hundred pounds?” Honora exclaimed.

“Why not five ’undred pounds?” Jim questioned. “After all, it’s ’is weddin’ night!”

“You right!” Kate cried. “Wiv all them racehorses ’e’s got ’e can well afford five ’undred pounds, if not a thousand!”

“Oh, please – ” Honora begged, “don’t ask too much money! He will never have such a large sum with him.”

She was worried that she might have to spend the night in this horrible place.

“That sounds reasonable,” Kate answered. “Make it five ’undred pounds. Gentlemen ’as that sort of money in the house.”

Honora thought miserably that there was no point in arguing any further and had a frantic desire to get away from this awful place.

She was frightened of the strange spectacle that Kate made, of Jim and the other man and of the girls with their painted faces.

She could see them occasionally peeping round the door when they thought Kate was not looking.

The ink was thin and not very black and the pen was very scratchy, but finally she managed to write,

“I am sorry for being so foolish, but I have been captured by two men and brought here. They say, if you will pay them five hundred pounds for the trouble I have caused, you can come to collect me.

I am writing this letter to beg you to come as quickly as you can.

I am very very sorry,

Honora.”

Almost before she had finished signing her name, Kate had snatched the letter and began to read it slowly.