There was a certain sense of déjà vu the following morning when Hattie and Edgar argued over her refusal to take a maid with her when she left the house. The very same argument she had had with Will only weeks earlier.

“I have walked the streets of St. Giles alone many times with our parents' approval, I do not need a chaperone. You agreed to let me keep doing my work as long as I stayed out of Plumtree Street,” Hattie firmly stated.

The males in her life, seemed incapable of accepting that she was no feeble female. She was more than capable of looking after herself. Hattie was determined to hold out against Will and he was far more stubborn than Edgar.

Attempting to keep matters cordial between them and avoid another family schism, Edgar finally conceded defeat. He did however make his displeasure known.

“You cannot expect to continue this life indefinitely. I expect William Saunders to make an offer of marriage to you any day now. As he is a good man, with wealth, and a first- class background I will be most inclined to approve his request. You need a husband to keep you in check.”

Hattie wrapped her scarf around her neck and shoved her hat down over her head.

“Yes, brother I hear you,” she replied.

She was in a hurry to get out of the house and away from Edgar. She needed a morning of being away from men who were trying to tell her how she should live her life.

As Hattie passed number forty-three, she glanced up at the windows of the upper floor of the house. The curtains of Will’s bedroom were still fully drawn.

It was still odd to think of it as Will’s home. She had been born in the house. It would forever be her home.

She hastened her steps to pass by the front door. Even if Will was his usual late abed self, she knew he would have eyes watching the street, looking for her.

“Bloody over protective stubborn man,” she muttered.

Hattie’s day progressed much the same as most others since her return to St. John’s. She spent time helping to clean the church. Reverend Brown, however was in an odd mood all day. He was not his usual self. From his constant yawning, it would appear he had not gotten a full night’s sleep.

After completing her work at the church, she headed over to Covent Garden markets and collected the vegetable scraps with which to make soup for the poor who would be attending the church later that day.

It was late by the time she finished preparing the soup and feeding the parishioners. She was washing out the last of the large soup pots when little Annie Mayford appeared at the door to the church kitchen.

“Hello sweet heart, you are out late,” said Hattie.

She quickly finished with the pot and dried her hands. She gave Annie a hug.

“How is your mother? I am sorry I have not been to see her.”

Tears formed in the little girl’s eyes.

“Joshua says you shouldn’t come and visit because of what the gang did to you, but.”

“But what?”

“Mama is dying. She hasn’t eaten anything for the past few days. All she does now is cough up blood. I’m frightened,” sobbed Annie.

Hattie put her arms around Annie and held her close. She had always known that there would come a time when Mrs. Mayford’s health would eventually fail. Annie would then be left in the care of her two gang affiliated brothers. It would not be long before Annie was drawn into the world of the Belton Street gang. Life in the rookery had a certain predictable pattern to it.

She was torn as to what she should do. Only last night, she had told Will she didn’t knowingly walk into dangerous situations, and this very morning she promised Edgar she would stay out of Plumtree Street.

On the other hand, if Mrs. Mayford died and Hattie had not been able to see her before her passing, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

“Is Joshua home?” she asked.

Annie nodded.

The news was encouraging. If Joshua and Baylee were home, then it meant the gang did not need them any further for the night. If she was careful she could slip into the rookery, visit the Mayfords, and the Belton Street gang would be none the wiser. It was worth the risk to be able to say one final farewell to Mrs. Mayford.

“I shall come with you. Let me get my coat and hat. I have some apples which I think Baylee would like.”

The climb up the long, thin staircase of the slum house in Plumtree Street was never easy. Entire families lived on the landings of each floor. Their meagre possessions only allowing a small gap in which a visitor could pass by on their way up to the next floor. Annie ran ahead of Hattie and knocked on the door of her family’s lodging.

Joshua opened the door. Seeing Hattie, he stepped out onto the landing and checked to see if anyone had noticed her arrival. He closed the door quickly behind him once he was done.

“You took a huge risk coming here Hattie. But I am grateful. Mama does not have long for this world.”

When she looked at him, Hattie felt nothing but pity. He had aged in the short time he and Baylee had been members of the Belton Street gang. Gone were the youthful looks of his mere sixteen years. In their place was a grey pallor and bloodshot eyes.

“Oh Joshua. What have they done to you?”

He laughed. “Nothing, I’m fine. Baylee and I are having a whale of a time. It’s great to be out with the lads every day.”

His gaze fixed on little Annie and his mother both seated on the bed in the corner. Hattie took the subtle hint. They did not need to know of all the terrible things which the boys were forced to be involved in when out with the gang.

Taking her cue from Joshua, she opened the small sack she had brought with her and placed the handful of apples on the table. Upon seeing the apples Baylee swiftly snatched one up. Hattie laughed as he bit into the apple with unrestrained relish.

Hattie then went and sat with Annie and her mother. Mrs. Mayford managed a weak smile. From the tired look on her face and her labored efforts to breathe, Hattie knew it would not be long until she was gone.

“Could you please tell us another of your travel stories Miss Hattie?” asked Annie.

The youngest of the Mayford children delighted in Hattie’s tales of her adventures in Spain. She especially loved hearing about the tall, dark stranger who had helped to rescue Hattie from the sea.

She had just begun to tell Annie about the wonderous cave of St. Michael when there was a loud rap on the door of the lodging. A booming voice came from outside on the landing.

“Open up!”

“It’s Tom, my boss!” whispered Joshua.

Hattie went cold with fear. Finding her at the Mayford home for a second time would not go down well with the gang leader. He had warned her that the next time he caught her in Plumtree Street he would do much worse than give her a beating. He had boasted of tossing her into the Thames and holding her under until she drowned.

Hattie silently rued her stubborn nature. Will would be livid if he knew where she was right now and the danger she had placed herself in. It would be cold comfort for him to know that he had been right about Yvette and herself not taking their own safety as seriously as he did. And especially not when there was a good chance she was about to share Yvette’s fate.

“What are we going to do? Tom will find you here. He thinks some of the lads are holding onto stolen goods and not giving him his cut. He will check both rooms in case we’re hiding stuff from him,” said Joshua.

Hattie took a deep breath, and tried to calm her mind. She remembered how Will had checked their surroundings when they were being threatened by the market crowd in Gibraltar. She now did the same.

“Can you climb safely down to the ground from here?” she asked.

When Joshua went to argue, she took a firm hold of his arm.

“Listen to me Joshua. You are the only one who can help me right now. There is nothing we can do to stop Tom and the gang coming through the door and taking me. I need you to go to my old house in Newport Street and find William Saunders. You remember him, you met him the night you brought me home. Tell him where they will have taken me.”

There was a second and more violent bang on the door.

“Oy! Open up inside!”

Joshua raced to the window and clambered out onto the tiny ledge before disappearing. Hattie gave a silent prayer of thanks for the fact that the family lived on the second floor.

Turning to the others, she held a finger to her lips.

“Not a word any of you about Joshua. Don’t even look at the window.”

She took a deep breath and opened the door.