Harlots

Our world is rocked by the arrival of a new Justice, the harsh and unyielding Justice Josiah Hunt. Not even Lydia Quigley can escape his judgement as she is hauled before him and sentenced fine too large for her to pay, so she must stay in gaol until she can find the funds. Margaret and Nancy find themselves racing against time to find someone willing to give evidence against her. Could this be their chance finally to get Lydia to pay for her crimes? Charlotte meanwhile is convinced that she must play a longer game if they are ever to destroy Lydia, ingratiating herself with Lydia’s powerful friends including the exquisite and mysterious Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam. But Charlotte getting closer to Lydia’s friends means getting closer to Lydia too - Charlotte is playing a dangerous game. With his mother in gaol, Charles, estranged from his mother, spots an opportunity to take back his inheritance and return to his rightful place in Golden Square but doing so could place him and Emily in a perilous position. Elsewhere in Covent Garden, Amelia must fight to save Violet from a terrifying sentence when she is caught stealing. But everyone’s plans and plots are thrown into chaos when Margaret receives a sickening warning.

Charlotte faces her toughest test yet as she tries to win Lydia’s trust, but helping Lydia will come at a cost to her and those she loves. If she isn’t careful, Charlotte risks drifting ever further from her family, and ever closer to Lydia. Lucy also finds herself under the sway of a seductive yet dangerous old acquaintance. After the Spartans’ warning strikes fear into their witnesses, Margaret and Nancy find themselves struggling to bring a case against Lydia and get justice for the dead girl. When the community gathers to share its grief, tempers flare and the women rally against the law’s injustice, with devastating consequences for Nancy. Emily and Charles face new challenges when Charles’ relationship with Lydia deteriorates; they might need to actually earn their own money... but help comes from an unexpected quarter. Amelia continues her campaign to get Violet released from prison, yet when she presents Justice Hunt with a mutually beneficial solution to their problems, Violet finds herself in a strange predicament.

Lydia and the girls find themselves under Hunt’s watchful eye, unable to operate from Golden Square. If they can’t trade Lydia’s business will flounder, so she urgently needs to find a way out of her predicament. She needs new allies who are powerful enough to over-ride the Justice, and it’s Charlotte’s task to get them. But developing her relationship with Lady Fitz brings Charlotte to the attention of her powerful and manipulative brother, the Marquess of Blayne. This new connection could severely compromise her, but it could also take her ever closer into Lydia’s confidence. Margaret can’t escape Hunt’s interest either but her recent alliance with the Scanwells might just prove very useful. After the disturbing recent events, Margaret also needs to turn her eye to business, particularly to her shortage of girls, and she decides on a plan to reinvigorate trade, but doing so will lead her right into the path of an old enemy. Lord Fallon continues to pursue Lucy, and with the situation at Greek St far from ideal, he’s looking like a more and more attractive prospect. But after her previous disasters Lucy needs to play smart and make sure it is she, not Lord Fallon, who has the upper hand.

After her attack on Lydia, Margaret finds herself fearing the scale of Lydia’s inevitable retaliation. But the clash has the unexpected consequence of bringing Margaret and Charlotte to an understanding once more. Perhaps finally, working together, and with Hunt on her case too, they can gather the witnesses they need to put Lydia back behind bars. But Lydia is using every conniving and wily instinct to gather protectors around her, placing Charlotte in ever more difficult positions to achieve her aims. Charlotte is caught between Lady Fitz and her brother Blayne. To keep one as her ally against Lydia, she must betray the other and it’s becoming an increasingly dangerous game. Despite their differing intentions, Lucy and Fallon find themselves growing closer. But Fallon is finding his relationship with Lucy under scrutiny of the watchful eye of the head Spartan, and he must be ready to prove his loyalty whenever the time is right. Meanwhile Fanny makes a breakthrough that might just lead Hunt to Kitty’s killer.

Lydia is eager to put Golden Square back on the map and announces a special gathering - Vestal Virgin Night, starring a real - unwilling - virgin. Finally Charlotte has her opportunity to catch Lydia in the act of kidnapping, but she will have to work hard to gain Lydia’s confidence in this most delicate of situations. She will also need all the help she can get from her friends if she has a hope of succeeding, and her efforts will bring Margaret and Lady Fitz into a strange new alliance. But Lydia is wily and mistrustful, and Charlotte will face a difficult dilemma: can she risk everything - even herself - for this chance to bring Lydia down? Amelia is offered a perplexing proposal while Florence comes to Lydia’s attention once more: Lydia has another secret about the Scanwells and there will be a terrible price to pay for her silence. What will Florence do? Hunt is finally making progress in the hunt for Kitty’s killer but when his targets are the rich and powerful, he’ll have to play his hand very carefully if he is to get justice. An attack on the House of Exotics strikes fear into Emily. Lydia must have learnt of her conversations with the law, and she urgently needs protection. As ever Charles proves useless despite his best intentions but when he discovers what Emily has done against Lydia, Emily will need to fight for him if she is to keep her only ally. Lucy and Fallon grow dangerously close, leading Lucy to reveal some compromising information. Can she trust Fallon to keep her secrets?

Charlotte is in very real danger as Lydia gets to grips with the scale of her betrayal. Her future is looking bleak, unless she can convince Lydia of her loyalty. A visit from Lucy might save her but the sisters will have to contend with Lydia’s ever watchful presence. Amelia wrestles with her conundrum and visits Violet one last time. Perhaps there is a way out for them? Florence is devastated when Lydia attacks her publicly - what will this mean for the Scanwells’ future? Emily is caught out in a lie and must work hard with Charles if she is to keep her secret. Cherry makes a bold decision, and Harriet, Nell and Webster begin to make big plans of their own. While working for Margaret as her spy in Golden Square, Rasselas catches sight of the man who killed Justice Cunliffe. But his discovery puts several of his friends in grave danger. Margaret finally puts all the pieces of the puzzle surrounding Kitty’s death, the Spartans and Lydia together but what she learns will make her risk everything to try to save both of her daughters.