They settled down, Jane taking the pallet that Thérèse had indicated and Thérèse herself lighting another candle and sitting at the workbench as though prepared to sit out the night. The presence of Samway’s henchman prevented any kind of discussion. On the bed, the Vicomtesse sighed a little in her sleep.

For what seemed like hours, Jane lay rigid on the hard pallet, her thoughts going round and around in her head. It was bad enough to have put herself in a position where Simon could be asked for money for her safe return, but to have brought Alex into danger was an entirely different matter. She wondered whether Samways had contacted him yet, what he would do, whether he could escape the threat and if so, what would happen to her…She knew her thoughts were quite profitless but she could not escape them. A couple of tears squeezed from beneath her eyelids.

‘Jane!’ Thérèse was shaking her by the shoulder and Jane opened her eyes, dazzled for a moment by the candle flame. ‘Come quickly! He is asleep!’

‘What-?’

‘The poppy juice!’ Thérèse said impatiently. ‘I thought it would never work!’ She stood aside so that Jane could see the slumped figure of the guard, sound asleep and snoring loudly. ‘Now, listen. You must get out of that window and climb along the ledge to the end of the building. There is a staircase there that leads down to the street. Samways’s men will be about, but in the dark you may be able to slip past. If not, there is a family in the end tenement who will hide you! I would come too, only I cannot leave Maman here! I pray you will not be too late!’

‘But when he comes back…’ Jane was struggling with the stiff catch on the window. ‘What will you say, Thérèse?’

‘Oh, that I fell asleep and when I awoke you were gone! If it comes to it, Jane, I will do everything I can to help your Duke of Delahaye, but I hope-I imagine-that he is a man who can look after himself! Now, good luck and godspeed!’ She gave Jane a brief, hard hug.

Just climbing out of the window was frightful enough for Jane. She had never been afraid of heights, but in the dark she felt frighteningly exposed and alone. The ledge was wide enough to edge along very carefully but when her dress caught on a nail and pulled her back she almost lost her balance, and had to bite her lip hard to prevent herself from crying out. She found that she no longer cared if all of Samways’s men were thronging the street below as long as she could get back on to solid ground.

She reached the end of the building at last and stepped carefully down into the dark stairwell, pausing for her frightened breathing to still. There was no sound or movement close by and she began to hope that she had been undetected. The stairs were unlit and she started to creep down, feeling her way down one wall, each step a venture into the unknown.

When she got to the bottom she paused again, before peering gingerly around the corner and out into the street. It appeared to be deserted, which was odd since Samways’s men had been swarming everywhere earlier. Jane started to slip along the edge of the building, keeping in the shadows, intent only on reaching the main street and trying to find someone who could help her. She tried to blot out of her mind the dangers of wandering around London at night, the perils that might befall her, the fact that Alex might even now be walking into a trap…

She reached the end of the buildings and there was a pool of darkness before her, blacker than the surrounding night. Jane darted across, almost tripping over a kerb stone and putting out a hand blindly to break her fall. And then she was caught and held in a merciless grip, strong arms sweeping her up and away from the darkness, but she did not cry out or struggle, for as soon as he had touched her she had recognised who he was.

There was light and warmth, and someone was forcing strong spirit down her throat.

‘What the hell do we do now, Alex?’ Jane heard a voice say.

Jane coughed and opened her eyes. She was still in Alex’s arms, sitting on his knee and held close, which struck her as somewhat improper given that the other occupants of the room were Harry Marchnight and her own brother. She struggled to be free, but Alex held her tightly.

‘Jane? Has he hurt you? Are you all right?’

‘No, I am not hurt,’ Jane said crossly, ‘but for you squeezing me half to death!’

She saw Simon’s tense face ease into a smile as he exchanged a rueful look with Alex. ‘She’s quite herself,’ he observed.

Alex stood up, placing her gently in the chair opposite his.

‘We haven’t much time,’ he said. ‘You really are unhurt, Jane? Tell me the truth!’

‘Yes, truly!’ Jane was shaken and a little awed by what she saw in Alex’s face. ‘And Thérèse is quite safe, though we must not be gone long! She drugged the man who was sent to guard us, but how long he will remain unconscious is another matter-’

‘That was when you escaped?’ Henry questioned swiftly. ‘And there was only one man left in the room with you?’

Jane nodded. ‘Thérèse would not come with me because she would not leave her mother, but she should not be left to face Samways alone! He said his men were everywhere, but-’

‘We’ve taken out all of those who were guarding the street,’ Alex said. ‘We were intending to ambush the ones in the house with you, though of course we had no way of knowing how many there were. But you say there is only one, and he has been dealt with by Mademoiselle de Beaurain.’ He flashed Simon a grin. ‘The next time we consider mounting a rescue we will remember that the two of you are well able to take care of yourselves! What did you have in mind for Samways? Hitting him over the head with a saucepan, perhaps?’

‘Perhaps…’ Jane shivered. ‘We must go back for Thérèse. Whatever she says, she cannot stay there now!’

‘No.’ Alex consulted his watch ‘-and we have little time. I am to meet Samways here within the hour-which I shall do, but with the odds weighted more in my favour than he imagines! Simon, will you escort Jane, Thérèse and her mother back to Portman Square? Harry and I will deal with Samways!’

It was Thérèse who opened the door to Jane’s knock. The candlelight was behind her, turning her silver hair to a halo, and her face was in shadow.

‘Jane? What has happened? Tiens-’ she suddenly saw Alex and Henry Marchnight ‘-messieurs…’

Alex tucked the pistol into his belt. ‘Your servant, Mam’zelle de Beaurain. I am Alexander Delahaye, Miss Verey’s fiancé.’

‘Jane is most fortunate,’ Thérèse said, with an expressive lift of her brows. ‘And this gentleman…?’

Henry Marchnight, languidly elegant as ever, came forward to bow over Thérèse’s hand. ‘Henry Marchnight, entirely at your service, mademoiselle. And here is one who most particularly wishes to see you…’ He stepped to one side and Simon came out of the shadows, closing the door softly behind him before turning to Thérèse.

It was an extraordinary moment. Jane, standing within the circle of Alex’s arm, saw the arrested expression on Thérèse’s face and the still watchfulness of Simon’s. She had not had the chance to tell Simon anything of the outcome of her conversations with Thérèse, and now she saw that there had been no need anyway. They had eyes only for each other, utterly absorbed in the reaction of one to the other. Jane, Alex, Henry, the sleeping occupants of the room…all might have been invisible.

‘Good evening, milord,’ Thérèse said, a little tremulously. Her eyes were suddenly full of tears. Jane realised, with a rush of compassion, that she was very nervous.

‘Thérèse.’ Simon said.

Very slowly they came together. Simon’s arms went around her gently, then he was holding her exultantly to him and there was no need for any further words.

‘Time for all that later,’ Alex said, with a grin. His arm tightened about Jane for a brief instant, then he became businesslike.

‘Mademoiselle de Beaurain, you and your mother must leave here at once. Please could you gather your belongings as swiftly as possible. Simon will escort you back to Portman Square with Jane whilst Henry and I stay to keep our appointment with Samways. Please!’ Alex added imperatively, as Thérèse had not moved. ‘There is not a moment to lose!’

‘You will come with us, won’t you, Thérèse?’ Jane said, moving forward. Thérèse had not let go of Simon’s hand and Jane half-expected him to add his pleas to hers, but he remained silent, his eyes never leaving her face.

There was a moment of stillness, then a voice spoke from the bed.

‘My child,’ the Vicomtesse said, ‘if you refuse now I swear I shall disinherit you!’

She struggled to sit up, coughing a little. ‘Pass me my wrap, I pray you, monsieur,’ she instructed Alex. ‘I shall then feel respectable enough to undertake the journey!’

Thérèse nodded, a little smile on her lips. ‘There is nothing here that I wish to bring,’ she said, and Jane thought that she was speaking of more than just her belongings. ‘I have a small bag-so…’ she pulled it out from under the bed ‘…and that is all.’ She turned to Simon. ‘I fear I come to you in nothing but the clothes I stand up in, my lord!’

Simon’s smile was full of tenderness. ‘That is enough for me, my love! Now, will you go first and I shall carry your mother down. The carriage is behind Crispin Buildings. Harry, if you could help us before you come back to stay with Alex…?’

‘What will you do with him?’ Thérèse asked, eyeing the slumped figure of Samways’s henchman. It looked to Jane as though he had not moved since she had gone.

Alex laughed. ‘We will leave him there! Samways will return to find an empty room, an unconscious guard-and Harry and myself waiting for him!’

At the last moment, before she started down the dark stair for the last time, Jane turned to look back at Alex. She wanted to run to him and tell him to be careful, that she loved him, that if he was killed she could never feel happy again. But there was something stern in his expression, as though he was already thinking of the encounter to come, that made her bite the words back and she could only hope that she had the chance to tell him when next she saw him.

Their arrival in Portman Square was as dramatic as anyone might have wished. The whole house was in uproar, with all lights blazing and all the servants still awake and milling around whilst they waited for news. Jane, whose preoccupation with Alex’s safety had almost led her to forget that she had been held to ransom, hung back, suddenly embarrassed.

Simon helped the Vicomtesse from the carriage and sent a startled footman running to waken the doctor. Thérèse followed him into the hall, while Jane brought up the rear.

Lady Verey and Sophia had been in the drawing-room, but both came hurrying as Simon strode into the hall, their strained faces breaking into smiles.

‘Jane!’ Sophia hugged her friend with heartfelt relief. ‘Oh, Jane, we were so worried! How could you do such a thing?’

‘Thank God you are safe, Jane! And-’ Lady Verey broke off as she caught sight of Thérèse and her mother. ‘Who-?’ she began, only to have the question comprehensively answered as Simon, oblivious to all around him, swept Thérèse into a ruthless embrace.

‘My apologies, madam, for this unexpected intrusion into your home,’ Vicomtesse de Beaurain said calmly. ‘It must seem most singular and indeed it is, but-’ A spasm of coughing shook her and Jane and Lady Verey both stepped forward to help her.

‘Do not try to talk any more, ma’am,’ Jane said soothingly. ‘Mama, Sophia, this is the Vicomtesse de Beaurain and that-’ she nodded towards the slender figure of Thérèse, still locked in Simon’s arms ‘-that is her daughter, whom Simon intends to marry!’

‘A fortunate thing too, after such a display!’ Lady Verey said, trying not to smile. The two mothers exchanged looks of qualified approval. ‘Well, well, no doubt we shall hear all about it in the morning! Please come this way, ma’am, and I will show you to your bedchamber. Is that Dr Tovey arriving? Excellent!’ And with the air of one who can take any number of surprises in her stride, Lady Verey led her unexpected guests away.

‘Oh, Jane! It is so romantic!’ Sophia curled up at the end of her friend’s bed, her face lit with happiness. ‘Why, it is plain to see that they love each other to distraction! And Simon has only met her three times! Barely spoken to her! And yet he knew at once that she was meant for him…’ Sophia gave a pleasurable little shiver.

Jane felt tired and wan that afternoon. She had hardly slept for fear that Alex’s plans had gone awry and even now he and Harry Marchnight were lying dead in a pool of blood somewhere. She knew that sooner or later she would have to face the repercussions of her actions in going to Spitalfields and bringing all this trouble on them. And the final straw was the air of extravagant romance that seemed to be invading the house, with both Sophia and Simon floating happily on their respective clouds of rapture. Examining her feelings, Jane felt left out and a little envious.