Chapter ThreeLela and Nanny left the house at half past five the following morning.
Lela knew that Sir Robert would he in a deep sleep after drinking too much wine the night before.
He had, as it happened, been far more pleasant when they had dined alone than he had been the previous evening.
Although, after her encounter with Mr. Hopthorne, she wanted to stay in her room and see no one, but she knew that it would be a mistake.
If she was to escape from this ghastly trap that was closing around her, she had to be clever.
‘Help me – Papa – ’ she prayed in her heart.
She felt that only he would understand the danger of her position.
She had therefore talked seemingly quite naturally to Sir Robert about buying new clothes.
“I am afraid, Step-Papa, it will cost you a great deal of mone
