Elizabeth smiled. ‘Of course. Now, I am running a very small enterprise here, so I ask for a deposit of twenty-five per cent to cover the cost of the materials. It amounts to half a crown and the total will be ten shillings.’

A young woman who knows her mind, thought Ursula, I rather like that. She took her purse from her bag and opened it. ‘Two weeks?’

‘Two weeks. You may collect it from here. I do have some of my designs for sale in a shop in Stockbridge but I prefer to keep these particular bags here in my workshop. No point in inviting comment unnecessarily.’

Ursula handed over the half-crown, realising as she did so that when the full cost of the bag was paid, it would amount to more than a week’s wage for Isobel.

‘Thank you.’ Elizabeth Forrester slipped the coin into a deep pocket in her skirt. ‘As a rule, I don’t send letters out to advise that an item is ready. It can cause unwanted questions for some of my customers. Shall we just say two weeks from today? Noon?’

‘Yes, that would be ideal. My step-daughter has become very inquisitive about the letters which arrive. She thinks that every envelope contains a secret birthday gift.’ As she walked back to the front door, Ursula wished, not for the first time, that her own dresses had pockets. ‘I don’t suppose . . .’

‘Mmmm?’

‘It’s not important. I will ask you about another matter when I collect the bag. Good afternoon to you.’ She stepped out onto the path and behind her Elizabeth Forrester started to close the door.

‘My apologies for shutting you out so quickly but it’s a cold day and the heat escapes so fast.’

And with that Ursula found herself outside the flat and heard the key turned in the lock with almost unseemly haste. She pulled on her gloves and set off for home. Things are changing, she thought. They are changing all around me and I’m not sure I can keep up with it all.

Chapter 15

March 1911

‘Show me then,’ John said to Ursula on the Sunday afternoon two weeks before Ann’s birthday. ‘I want to see what sort of gift could possibly be an improvement on a nice set of encyclopaedias.’ He winked at her. ‘This had better be good.’

She smiled and patted the two white boxes on her lap. ‘It is good. In fact, I was so impressed I went back the day after I placed the order and chose a second for myself. It will go with my best dress, the deep purple one with the lace at the neck. I won’t use it until after Ann’s birthday, of course.’

She passed him the smaller box first. The lilac bag with silver tassels nestled in a crinkle of white tissue paper.