She pointed at him, ignoring the quip, her smile replaced with her let’s-get-down-to-business frown. ‘What time have you got on your clock?’

Liam pulled the ornate timepiece out of his waistcoat pocket. ‘Seven minutes after eleven in the morning.’

‘OK, we should get a move on. The return window here is in four hours’ time.’

‘Right you are. How far is it?’

‘Not far, I think. It’s on to Merrimac Street, then up Fourth Street to Mission Street… short walk up that on to Second Street. Ten minutes… at a guess?’

Liam stepped forward away from the brick wall, the tumbled crates of rubbish and the stench of rotting fish. With a broad cock-sided grin he offered his arm. ‘Shall we, ma’am?’

Her face softened and she threaded one white gloved hand around it. ‘Oh, absolutely, Mr Darcy. A pleasure, I’m sure.’

They emerged out of the gloom of the alley on to Merrimac Street and immediately Maddy found herself gasping.

My God. The realization finally hit her. I’m actually standing IN history.

Merrimac Street was busy with mid-morning foot and wheeled traffic, mostly horse-drawn carts ferrying goods up from the wharf down the far end. She could make out steam ships lined up against the docks, filling the blue sky with columns of coal smoke and steam, and the churning business of freight coming off or being loaded on.

‘Awesome,’ she giggled with delight, ‘this is just like being in a movie. Just like the beginning of Titanic…’

He looked at her, disgusted. ‘They made a movie about it?’

The smile on her face slipped and became a guilty grimace.

Liam tutted and sighed. ‘Good people died an’ all… for what? So they can become part of a flickering peepshow a hundred years later?’

She shrugged. ‘Uh, s’pose… but it was pretty good, though. Fantastic special eff-’