Gina hunkered down in the little seat, her legs bent uncomfortably in the tiny footwell, and prayed for James to hurry up with whatever business he had in the house opposite. The passenger seat of the low-slung car had been agony to sit in as he’d driven over the cobbles. Now the inside was steaming up as Gina sat and waited, and the air outside was grey and felt damp with smoke from the numerous chimneys. She looked around for something – anything – to distract her while she waited, but there was nothing but a dog-eared copy of Sporting Life wedged down beside her seat.

Was a drive out here why he’d asked her to put on a pretty frock? Surely not. Even the Duke of Clarence pub in Preston seemed like luxury compared to this filthy place.

Gina closed her eyes and tried to conjure up an alternative scene in her mind. She imagined she was sitting in the garden at the Hall, with Coco curled up on the bench next to her. Deliberately she breathed more slowly and pictured the beautiful flower border running the length of the lawn at the back: all the pink and mauve flowers, the white and pale yellow, the smell of roses and the newly mown grass …

The car door opened abruptly, Gina’s eyes flew open and she caught her breath as James got back in.

‘You scared me,’ she gasped shakily. ‘This is your idea of an evening out, is it? Some sooty backstreet slum with gawping idiots eyeing up your car while I sit nearly squashed under the glove box for half an hour?’

‘Nothing to be scared about,’ said James, slamming the door.

‘Says you. You weren’t the one sitting here, wondering if any of those rough types were about to break in and make away with me. And me with my nice frock on, looking for an evening of fun and half expecting to end up kidnapped instead.’

‘Ah, Gina, I would never have left you in danger,’ James replied. ‘You’re far too pretty and, I suspect, far too much of an asset for me not to take proper care of you.’

She looked at him sidelong. ‘You’ll have to do better than that,’ she said. ‘This is the second time you’ve taken me to some hellhole.’

‘Oh dear, it’s not looking good is it, my dear Gina? I shall have to make it up to you.’ He smiled into her eyes and she thought again how handsome he was. ‘But I’m all done in Blackburn and now I have in mind something of a treat for you.’

‘At last,’ said Gina, crossly. ‘Then we’d better get on our way.’

‘That’s my girl. Chin up – let’s go and have some fun.’