"I'm home." She called out to no one in particular as the front door clicked shut behind her. She paused at the mirror hanging in the hallway and wiped away the smudges under her eyes.

"Cora."

She hesitated "Yes Mother?" She turned, the voice coming from the living room. With one final dab at her eyes, she went to the door.

"Come here a moment." Her mother's tone was measured. Too measured. She was sat on the couch like it was made of concrete, back straight, hands carefully, too carefully, folded.

"What is it?" She entered the room and sat down carefully, her mind racing with whatever could be the issue.

"I had a visitor today. Whilst you were out." She sniffed and looked sharply at her daughter "A young man. A sailor. He was looking for you." She pursed her lips, pausing for effect. "Now Cora, I'm going to give you one opportunity to explain yourself and be honest."

She could not recall feeling fear like this since they left the island, since she'd seen Kong for the first time, since they'd had to run for their lives. Like the ground had suddenly fallen away and left her hanging, winded, in mid-air. And now there was no escape. Freezing cold fear flooded her veins and she dreaded her mother's next words.

"I saw him. Loitering outside like some kind of thug. Just looking for trouble. So I opened the door and when he saw me he made to run. A guilty conscience, no doubt. But I told him to stop. Asked who he was looking for. He was looking for you."

"His name is Jimmy." Cora's voice shook "He's a good man-"

Eleanor raised a hand to silence her "I don't want to hear excuses. I don't need to hear them. We had a little talk, this boy and I."

Her heart quickened, panicked. "What did you say to him?" Her voice nearly gave out in nerves.

"I told him the truth." Her mother replied, smoothing her skirt. "I told him that a young lady like you would never truly love a boy like him."

"What!" Cora cried.

"I told him" Eleanor pressed on "That he was just a fancy to you, a novelty to pass the time. I told him that you and your friends laughed about him when he was gone, and that you had no intention of staying with him."

"How could you!" Cora jumped to her feet, Eleanor following suit. "You told him a pack of lies!"

Eleanor grabbed Cora's wrist suddenly and spoke fast and quiet, her grip vice-like "Now you listen to me. Everything I have done for you, everything I have planned, it has been for your own good. In this city, in this world, the only person you can ever depend on is yourself. We must do what we must do to survive. Now I loved your father. I loved him dearly and I gave him two daughters and a home he could be proud of. In return he provided us with the means to keep on living and you would be out on the street right now. We would not have had these means if I had married for love, because believe me; I had to learn to love him, as much as you will have to learn the right man."

"I love Jimmy, Mother," she yanked her arm awkwardly from Eleanor's grip "I don't have to learn that. He's the right man for me, he loves me, and you just don't seem to understand that."

"Love." She tutted "You don't know the half of love. Make your choice Cora. The boy or your family. You can't have both, I won't let you."

Cora flushed, scowling "If Daddy were here -"

A sudden, stinging slap caught Cora's cheek.

"But he's not!"

Clutching her face, Cora gaped silently at her mother, who was now seething with hushed rage. This was new. Usually her mother was given to dramatic hysterics, but this calculated, controlled anger was truly frightening.

Flexing her stinging hand, Eleanor continued "These are very dangerous times, Cora. A man is lucky to have a job. Do you know how easy it would be for a man to lose everything?" She finished meaningfully.

Cora shook her head "You wouldn't – you can't! Captain Englehorn would never -"

"The captain may not." Eleanor continued, threateningly. "But if dear Mr Mosely, you remember his son Nate, don't you?" She nodded at the recognition "Yes, I think you do. Anyway, if dear, dear Mr Mosely of the New York City police department got involved… well. The consequences are simply unthinkable. Not just for that wretched boy… but the good captain too."

Cora had paled. "Mother please... I'll do anything..."

"Choose your family, Cora." Eleanor continued, looking calm but her voice trembling a little. "Come to Carl's show on Friday and I will forget to call James Mosely. You cut off all contact with that boy. Although," She smiled, small and catlike. "After the look on his face when I said what I said to him, that will not be a challenge. I broke his foolish little heart and I may have broken him in the process." She frowned again at her daughter's devastated face. "The door is right there. You can go to him. I won't stop you. But if you leave now, you can't come back. And you can't stop me making calls. But whatever happens Cora, you will make a choice and make it soon."

"Please…" Cora throat tightened. "Mother, you can't…"

"I can." She looked away and sighed "After everything I've done for you." She declared "I have never been more disappointed in you." With her final line, she swept out of the room. A perfect exit. Jack would be envious.

Cora remained standing in the living room, utterly numb, her thoughts completely halted in their tracks. Her indecision, her attempts to do everything and get away with it had finally caught up with her. She'd lost Jimmy, and after what she'd said, probably lost Alex too. She'd lost her chance to get out of Carl's show, lost any chance of freedom, of choice. Every time the realisation rolled back around to the fact that she'd lost Jimmy forever.

Mrs Layton had been loitering outside the door.

"Keep an eye on her." Eleanor ordered, her voice as hard as steel. "If she leaves this house I want to know immediately."