Lucien opened his mouth to say something and stopped. A look passed between him and Barky that I couldn’t quite work out. A pub for Blacks only. I’d never heard of such a thing. Barky stubbed his cheroot on the wall.

‘I’d best be getting on. Lots to do, as I said.’ He touched his hat to Lucien. ‘Good afternoon, Mr Winters.’

He headed back inside the theatre and I looked after him, nonplussed by what had happened. Barky had been nothing but kind to me, had accepted me despite my colour. I’d hoped he’d do the same for Lucien.

‘He’s not usually like that.’

‘I understand,’ Lucien said. At least one of us did. ‘You’ve known him long?’

We’d met on my first day at Crillick’s. Straight away Barky had taken me under his wing, but the truth was I knew hardly anything about him. Even living with him had revealed little, his rooms so tidy. Yet I’d seen the trinkets he carried. Knew he went out most nights after ten o’clock and didn’t come back until dawn. He had a secret of his own, obviously, but I had yet to find out her name.

‘Only since I started here. He’s been good to me.’

‘Well perhaps it is for the best he didn’t come,’ Lucien said.

I found I badly wanted the two men to like each other, but for the moment there seemed little chance of that. Lucien crooked his elbow and I threaded my arm through the space he’d made for me.

‘The Dog and Duck is on Fleet Street. We should be there in fifteen minutes.’