Her back hurt from leaning forward at an awkward angle, but she ignored the ache and pressed her ear even closer to the keyhole. She could feel the cold brass on her skin and smell the Bluebell polish Isobel used every week.

‘I haven’t finished speaking!’ Father was on the war path.

‘I apologise,’ came her brother’s voice, conciliatory, and deeper than his father’s, with no trace of the mid-teen creaks of earlier years.

‘I repeat, you are seventeen now, and it’s important that you understand how the world works.’

‘Yes, Father. You were saying about the two things?’

Ann held her breath as she strained to hear the words.

‘Two things will get you into trouble in life.’ Father’s voice strengthened. ‘Your stick and your signature.’ There was a pause. ‘And if you remember that, son, you will avoid a lot of life’s difficulties.’

Ann frowned. A stick and a signature? It didn’t make any sense. But before she could puzzle it out, she realised that heavy footsteps were heading towards the door, and only a few seconds remained before she would be discovered. She slid the book she was carrying onto the carpet runner, pushing it in the direction of her bedroom with her foot as though she was playing a giant game of shove ha’penny, and then moused her way towards it with soft steps, avoiding the creaky floorboard in the middle in a way that Isobel might have recognised. She was four feet from safety when the parlour door opened, and she quickly pulled her hair out from behind her ear to hide the indentation of the keyhole. ‘Sorry, Father. It slipped out of my hands.’

‘You must be more careful. Books cost money.’

She could tell that he wasn’t truly cross with her.

‘Is Miss Smith here yet?’ he continued. ‘I need to speak with her about our wedding. It’s only two weeks away now.’

‘I know. I am so excited about it.’

‘She will make changes here, I expect, and we will all have to get used to those, but if everyone tries their best, I hope it won’t be too difficult.’

Ann bent down to pick up the book. ‘She arrived a little while ago. I think she’s in the kitchen with Isobel. They were going to discuss the order for the butcher, I heard them speaking about it when she was here yesterday afternoon.’

Finlay appeared in the parlour doorway, ‘I wouldn’t say no to a cup of tea, Annie Bee.’ He winked at her, knowing full well that her habit of listening at keyholes had almost been her undoing.

*

Ann waited until after lunch, when she knew Father and Miss Smith had gone out for their usual walk to Blackford Pond, before she went into the kitchen.