With Cal and Lovejoy gone early, Rose took opportunity to sneak out with Trudy without mentioning to anyone where they were going. She knew they would have to be quick.

They hailed a cab around the corner to make the trip quicker. They approached the square, Rose looking desperately through the crowd for a familiar blonde head. But there was no sign.

They walked around the artists, but Jack wasn't there.

"Maybe he doesn't come every day" Trudy suggested.

"Maybe" Rose replied, puzzled. "But he never mentioned having a day off before. He is trying to save some money."

She eventually plucked up the courage to ask one of the other artists, a regular she recognized, if they had seen Jack.

"Not for a coupla days" he shook his head and wiped his hands on his trousers. "Not like him to miss out on a few days work."

"Thank you" replied Rose and walked away.

A sudden idea came to her.

"I have his address in my purse at home. We could fetch it and go and visit him."

"I'm sorry Miss Rose we won't have time." Trudy was afraid of what Cal would do if he found them missing.

"We can't go back to the house, then to the other side of town and back before Mr Hockley comes home. It's not possible."

Rose realized sadly this was true. She remembered what she thought previously. Daddy let me down, Cal let me down, and maybe Jack will too. No Rose, there is probably a perfectly good explanation she reasoned. You just won't find out what until you return.

Jack lay on his bed. He was still in a lot of pain, but coping with it better than he had been. Without help from Susie and Mrs O'Sullivan, he didn't know what he would have done. They both took turns to come and see him and feed him. He was being spoilt. If I felt better, I'd really enjoy being waited on, he groaned. He didn't how he would ever repay them for their kindness.

Mrs O'Sullivan's husband Bill had been a prizefighter many years ago in Ireland. She was used to patching up his cuts and bruises, and treated Jack's injuries with some odd poultices and homemade ointments, whilst Susie insisted on treating him with painkillers and ointments from the pharmacy. He wasn't sure which worked the best, but he was getting better slowly.

Susie was still very concerned that Jack wouldn't let anyone else know about his attack.

"There could be a lunatic out there waiting to pounce on someone else, even me" she pleaded to no avail.

But Jack knew there wasn't a lunatic out there waiting to pounce on anyone. He now knew who the attackers were. He had remembered a few more details of the attack, including the words "Compliments of Caledon Hockley."