‘Oh! Oh, no, I’m so sorry, Ellen, but Diana is no longer here.’

Ellen felt her spirits plummet. She would know whether this Diana was indeed Gina the second she spoke to her, of course, but now that eventuality, on which she’d built all her hopes, was not to be.

‘Hello? Are you still there?’

‘Yes, Miss Hathersage. Do you know where Diana has gone?’

‘I’m afraid not, dear. She’s just disappeared; taken her things and left.’

‘What, for good?’

‘It would seem so. We’re quite upset. We guessed she was troubled, but we hoped we could help her in some way, or at least her job here was a help to her … whatever it was that was wrong. She said she was an orphan and had no one, but I rather guessed there was more to it than she was saying.’

Ellen was thinking hard. She could not let this be a dead end, and the word ‘troubled’ reinforced her belief that this Diana was Gina.

‘Miss Hathersage, would it be all right if I came to see you, please?’

‘Of course, dear. Come tomorrow … I think there’s no time to lose.’

‘… So I’m going to St Annes to talk to Mary and Ruth Hathersage tomorrow, Mum.’

‘Do you want me to come with you, Nell?’ asked Tom, who’d spent the afternoon at the cottage.

It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse, but her uncle was such a strong and calming presence that Ellen knew she’d be glad to have him there if the news was bad or the situation became awkward. And it was always better to go anywhere with a companion.

‘Oh, yes, please, Uncle Tom. Ed offered, but Nathan’s ill and I know Mr Beveridge can’t really spare Ed just now.’

‘I’ll let them know at the Hall that we’ve been unexpectedly called away. They’ll think it’s to do with your dad, I reckon. We’ll set out early. Don’t worry, Dora, love, we’ll find Gina and bring her safely home.’

Ellen felt comforted by her uncle’s positive attitude but, when she lay in bed that night, thinking over what Mary Hathersage had said, she felt full of fear for Gina. Just why had she left the hotel in such a hurry?