Her hands were shaking quite noticeably now as she gulped down mouthfuls of water. I heard the gurgle of it in her stringy throat as she swallowed. When shed drained the glass, she set it down again on the table beside her bed and scratched lower for the drawer handle.

'The thirst is an unavoidable effect of my . . . medicine. But it is a small price to pay for respite. I have something for you. Here. She offered me a roll of patterned Oriental material.

I backed away shaking my head. 'Youre not taking me with that one again. The last gift I accepted from you was hacked from some poor bleeders hand.

She smiled and I heard the sticky smack of wetness as her lips parted. 'This is quite different. Take it you may need it. One day.

I reached for the roll from her hands and she nodded. 'Good. You will be leaving me shortly. Remember what I said, Katharine, trust no one. And remind your brother that he cannot come back to London, ever. Repeat to me the words of the message I sent to him.

'But why cant he come back? I could tell them the Barons about the fire and what really happened.

She snorted. 'They know already.

I weighed the roll in my hands. There was something folded inside, I could feel it through the silk. I needed to know why Joey couldnt come home.

'In that case . . .?

'Repeat the message, Katharine.

'Bartholomew waits. I told him in Paris. What does it mean?

Lady Gingers face was a mask. 'You will understand soon enough. In the meantime you would do well to remind your brother of it. After all he is your blood, he is your family. She paused. 'Think on those words.

I was about to answer, but someone caught me tight from behind, pinning my arms to my sides. Before I could cry out a hand clapped a cloth across my face. I struggled furiously, trying to stop my nose and mouth against the familiar burning sweetness, but it was no good.

The last thing I saw before I fell to the floor was Lady Ginger watching me as she rolled her rat-tail plait between the tips of her fingers.

She smiled and raised her hand in a sort of crooked farewell. 'Protect him, Katharine.

Chapter Seventeen.

Blood.

I could taste it in my mouth, and smell it too. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling above my bed in Salmon Lane. That wasnt right, was it? The last thing I saw was . . .

Of a moment I couldnt recall. I brought a hand to my face. My nose was crusted up with something, my lips were cracked and my dry mouth was full of metal.

'Shes awake! Peggys voice came from somewhere over to the left. I tried to sit up but my stomach rolled and a hammer went off in my head.

'Lucca a bowl, quick! A hand thrust a china dish under my nose, and my throat stung as I retched over the blue and white pattern. I hunched forward and felt someone hold my hair away from my face.

'There thats better. Peggy rubbed my shoulders. 'Drink this, Kit its water.

I took the glass she offered and leaned back to allow her to move the bowl away. It all came back to me now: the coach, the drugged cloth, the shuttered house and Lady Ginger in that bed. The only thing I couldnt work out was how I came to be here.

'What time is it? My voice was hoarse. My throat burned like Id swallowed a hot coal.

'Past ten. Youve been gone for a night and a day. Lucca was sitting in a chair drawn up next to the bed. He reached for my hand and squeezed it. 'When the carriage moved off I ran down the steps, but the driver was like a . . . un pazzo, a madman. I chased you, but he used his whip and the horses ran like the Devil himself was on their backs. He glanced at Peggy. 'I came here, but we didnt know what to do.

She nodded and sat on the bed. 'Actually, Kit, Lucca did know what to do. He sent word to Telferman and the message came back that we was to wait. You came home just two hours ago. There was a great banging on the door, but Tan Seng wouldnt open up. Then Lucca looked out and recognised the carriage. By the time we went down it was gone, and you were curled up on the step. The brothers helped carry you up here and weve been sitting with you ever since. What happened, Kitty? Are you . . .?

I took another gulp of water. 'Im fine. Thisll pass. Its just another of my grandmothers speciality acts. The old cow still puts on a fine show.

In the lamplight I saw Peggy and Lucca exchange looks.

'One of her crew drugged me when I went up into the coach . . . last night, was it?

Lucca nodded.

'And the same thing happened before she sent me packing. Lady Ginger likes her privacy she didnt want me to know where she lives. Oh, she made that very clear. Even if everything else she said was a riddle.

'Did she hurt you? Your nose, Fannella its been bleeding and your lips are cracked. Here. Lucca filled my glass again with water from a jug on the floor beside him. I drank it down in one and wiped my sore nose and mouth with my hand.

'She didnt touch me . . . I was beginning to remember our talk more clearly now, 'except when she dug her black claws into my hand. No, I think its the effect of the drugs she used. When I woke up at her place it was the same my head felt like there was a bare knuckle round going off inside and my stomach wasnt right. Ten oclock, you say?

'S, nearer to eleven maybe now.

'Then Ive been under the influence of God knows what for hours. It was barely light when we spoke. She must have used enough stuff that last time to down an elephant. Its no wonder I feel like a coopered Judy.

'You need a bit of heat in your bones. Peggy stood and went over to the fire. I watched her kneel, rip some sheets of newspaper from the pile, screw them into balls and feed them into the grate where a small mound of coals was already glowing.

'There thats a bit better, but well need Lok to bring up some more if youre to warm through proper. The scuttles empty.

'Wheres Robbie? I sat up straight in the bed, pulling my knees to my chin. Just like last time, the clanging in my head was beginning to muffle and every word my grandmother said had come back clear. David was playing a dangerous game, thats what she told me, and whatever it was it involved the boy Id brought back to London for him.

'Dannys with him now. He came over to find me, Kit. It was after midday and he was worried when I didnt come home this morning.

'And he was let in?

'Course he was. I made such a row down in the hall that Lok couldnt stand it. Dans been here all the time since. He helped Lucca and the brothers bring you up here. The noise woke the little one so I asked him to go and sit with him while we cleaned you up. There was blood all over your face and matted in your hair when you came back. We thought youd cracked your head open at first.

For some reason I wanted to reassure myself that Robbie was safe. 'Can you fetch him to me, Peg?

'Danny?

I tried to smile. 'Now, why would I want to see his ugly mug? I mean the little one.

Peggy frowned. 'But that would wake him and its so late hed never go off again now. Hes been very bad tempered all day, which isnt like him. I think hes teething. His gums are that sore. There was blood in his mouth this morning.

'Please, Peggy. Id like to see him Danny too.

She arched an eyebrow. 'Seeing your own flesh and blood has made you come over all maternal of a sudden, has it?

'Something like that. I nodded at the door. 'Bring them both. I wont keep Robbie long. I just want to make sure hes . . . well. For his fathers sake I promised David that Id look after his son, remember.

Peggy grinned and cocked her head to one side. 'David is it now? I wondered if there was more to that story than you was letting on, Kitty Peck. If his lads anything to go by I reckon hes . . . She broke off and glanced warily at Lucca. I saw her cheeks redden as she looked quickly down and started to brush some imaginary bits of fluff off her skirt.

'Thats to say. I wondered if he was . . .

I rolled my eyes. Peggy Worrow still thought Lucca and I might be a pair. She could be so blind sometimes. Then again, it wasnt so long ago when I couldnt see what was sitting in front of my nose, was it?

'Just go and fetch them, will you?

Peggy nodded gratefully and bustled out of the room, imagining, no doubt, that shed said the wrong thing. Lucca waited for a moment until we couldnt hear her tread on the stairs and then he leaned forward and spoke softly. 'So what did she want, Fannella? What did you find out?

I shook my head. 'I didnt find out anything I wanted to know, thats for sure. It was all riddles and games just like before. Lady Ginger dandling tidbits of information under my nose and whipping them away again before I could make anything out of them.

I rested my head on my knees. 'I found out one thing, though. That baby, Robbie, hes trouble. She knew all about what Id done and she knew about his father too. She said he was playing a dangerous game.

Lucca grunted. 'We both know that. Why else would a man send his son to London with a stranger? And since then . . . He paused for a moment and rubbed at the scarred skin of his cheek. 'The man who followed us last night? Was he the man you saw at the theatre, Fannella?

'I didnt see him in the dark. I couldnt tell you if the man with the cane was the same one who ripped my ear. But it cant be a coincidence, can it?

Lucca shook his head. 'No no coincidence. You are right about the children. I made enquiries one of the infants who perished in the fire at Mordant Street was dark skinned, like Robbie. I believe the child is in danger as it seems are you. But how did your grandmother know of this? How could she know about Robbie and his father?

'Shes still got spies working for her, Lucca. The Monseigneur is one of them. He wrote to her from Paris, but hes not much of a wordsmith. I scanned the room. The lamplight made the shadows in the corners look like the tarry stains that once covered the walls in Lady Gingers receiving room. For a moment I could believe she was still sitting there wreathed in smoke, listening.

'Wheres my bag?

'Its here. Lucca stood and went over to the dresser. 'We couldnt loosen your fingers from the handle at first. Even in your drugged state you wouldnt let go. He handed it to me. Both letters were inside, along with the fabric-wrapped package Lady Ginger had given me. I handed Lucca the heavy cream sheet. 'This is what he sent the Monseigneur. What do you make of it?

Lucca took the paper, unfolded it and stared at the word. His good brown eye widened.

'Do you recognise it? I shifted across the bed to kneel close to him. 'And theres a mark at the top, impressed into the page. If you hold it up to the lamp youll see it.

Lucca raised the paper so the pattern showed clear. He ran a fingertip over the two-headed bird. 'This means nothing to me, but this . . . he pointed at the writing as usual I noted there was paint under his nails, 'is like something Ive seen before.

I took the paper and flattened it out on the bed. 'I thought it might be a code. "K" could be for Kitty and the rest of the letters might stand for words. Lady Ginger said it was a message to both of us. So if thats Kitty, what do the rest of the letters stand for? Theres a "P" then an "O" and two "B"s.

Lucca shook his head. 'No I do not think it is a code. It is one word. I cannot read it but I think I know someone- 'Here he is.

The door swung open and Peggy walked into the room with Robbie cradled in her arms. Danny was just behind. I folded the letter and tucked it under the sheet.

Robbies big eyes were glassy with sleep. He wriggled in the blanket Peggy had wrapped him in and his lower lip started to tremble. She rocked him from side to side, but it didnt help. Seconds later he screwed his face into a crimson knot of anger and began to bawl. Peggy scowled at me and dabbed a finger into his mouth.

'See! I knew we shouldnt have disturbed him. And he hadnt been asleep long, had he? She glanced back at Danny who was leaning against the wall watching her. He came forward now and dangled the poppet in front of Robbies face.

'He wouldnt go off after you came back tonight, but this helped. He turned to me. 'You all right, Kit? Only you looked like youd done a couple of rounds when we carried you up here.

'It looked worse than it really was a nosebleed, thats all. I paused. I didnt want to tell him where Id been. 'Thank you for watching over Robbie.

'Hes no trouble. Danny tossed the poppet across to the bed and I caught it. 'Once he had this tight in his hands he was happy enough sucking on an ear until he couldnt keep his eyes open. You might want to put a couple of stitches in the side there. He loves it so much its coming apart.

I smiled. 'Ill get my old workbox from The Gaudy out for him. Wont do any harm to keep my hand in, eh?

'You always had the neatest stitches, Kitty, before . . . Peggy shrugged, 'before you came to live here.

Just for a moment I caught an odd look pass between her and Danny and I wondered what they said about me when they were alone together. There was an awkward pause while Peggy went back to fussing over Robbie, and Danny stared at the rug.

I cleared my throat. 'Well. Thank you both for this evening. I appreciate it.

Danny grinned. 'Like I said the little ones no trouble. And anyway . . . He glanced at Peggy who was humming to Robbie and turning in a slow circle in front of the little fire. 'I reckon its good practice for our own, when he or she arrives.

Peggy turned to face me again now. She nodded and smiled. 'Due around Christmas, I think.

Chapter Eighteen.

Sam Collins was the last person I wanted to see, but a promise was a promise.

After that business with the missing girls I owed him. He didnt know the half of it, I was careful on that score, but me and Lucca had given him enough to make a 'proper scoop, as he called it. Now he was sitting in front of me, twitching and drumming his ink-stained fingers on Fitzys desk my desk, I corrected the thought.

He took another sip of tea. 'This is better than the filth Peters serves up at the office. I swear hes got worse, Kitty. Or perhaps hes buying an inferior blend these days although its difficult to imagine anything more disagreeable.

He grinned and stared around. Apart from Mas jug on the mantle the room was still bare, I hadnt moved anything in yet. 'This is all something of a . . . surprise?

'Is it, Sam?

I smiled blandly across the desk and thought about what to say next. Tell truth, I was always careful around Sam Collins. I liked him, and I suppose you could say I trusted him, but under all that twitching and bumbling there was a mind sharp as broken glass. It was an act. I knew that now. Like they say, it takes one to know one.

Now, some girls might have thought him handsome, but Sam was too spindly for my liking. He put me in mind of a weed thats outgrown its strength in straining for the sun. His hair still needed a good trim, I noted, as he flicked that long brown fringe out of his eyes. He was wearing a shabby suit and the stained ends of his frayed shirt cuffs poked out from the sleeves of his jacket.

'News business good?

'You know how it goes, Kitty, one day youre riding high, the next you fall to earth. He placed the cup and saucer on the desk and leaned forward. 'Between you and me, The London Pictorial isnt exactly riding high at the moment. Theres a lot of competition on the streets. Thats why Im here.

He smiled, folded his arms and leaned back, tipping the chair on its rickety legs. It made a cracking sound and rocked to an alarming angle, forcing Sam to grip the edge of the desk to right himself again.

Despite myself, I laughed. 'I should have warned you about that chair its on its last legs, like a lot of other things round here. I glanced up at the ceiling. There was a stain just overhead where the smoke from Fitzys stubby cigars had spread across the ceiling. 'Its time for a change.

Sam narrowed his sharp brown eyes. 'Exactly, Kitty! Thats what our readers want to know. What does the future hold for The Limehouse Linnet? You are greatly missed, do you know that?

'Missed by your block boys in the basement and them that want to see a lot more of a girl thans decent, dont you mean? You made me look like a penny bangtail in them pictures, Sam Collins. No woman with a shape like that could swing on a trapeze, let alone catch the ropes round those . . . impediments.