After that there had been a wild commotion of packing what her father needed and getting him off to Plymouth where he had already learnt that there was a ship preparing to sail across the Atlantic.

His wife had wanted to go with him, but he would not hear of it.

“God knows what sort of discomforts I shall have to endure,” Sir Denzil said. “It will be hard enough, my darling, without having to worry about you. Yet three years will pass quickly and I will soon be with you again.”

It all sounded a sensible idea despite her mother’s misery at being parted from the man she loved.

As soon as it was learned, and it was impossible to pretend otherwise, that Sir Denzil had left the country, the bills came pouring in.

Because her mother was so unhappy, Thalia, although she was only fifteen, had tried to seek help from the family Solicitor, whom she had known ever since she was a child, to sort things out.

Thalia was never certain how the rumours began, but the story went about that Sir Denzil had been exiled for life and could never return to England.

It was difficult to explain the true facts and, as in all rumours, there had been no single person they could actually discover who had started the story in the first place.

The tradesmen grew more and more pressing and in the end the only thing they could do was to shut up the Manor House and move to London, renting a house in Shepherd’s Market for a few pounds a month.

There they lived on the sale of Lady Caversham’s jewels that were her own property.

Everything that belonged to Sir Denzil was either sold or mortgaged, the Manor House and its contents fortunately being entailed onto his heirs.

At first Thalia thought that, if they lived frugally without any extravagances, they could just manage to exist until her father returned.

Then, when the letters from him ceased and they had no news, her mother grew ill. There were doctor’s bills and soon their little store of money disappeared.

Owing to the War luxury foods became more expensive and, when it was a case of their being actually hungry, Thalia knew that she had to do something.

She had, in fact, for the last year been planning a way that she thought she could augment their income, but that was a secret she kept even from her mother and it was unfortunately something that was not likely to show a return very quickly.

She therefore told herself that she must find employment of some sort and it was her mother who had given her the idea of trimming bonnets.

Since the War had ended the previous year, clothes had become more elaborate and bonnets were at times almost garishly decorated to match the gowns that were also trimmed with lace and ruchings, embroidery and bows.