‘O’ course, ma’am.’ The maid dipped her knee and with a cheeky wink at Amber, she led her up a sweeping staircase to a galleried landing. There were doors dotted all along it and stopping outside one, the girl told her, ‘This’ll be your room, Miss. Would yer like me to ’elp yer unpack? It’ll be no bovver at all.’ Her accent was broad cockney and Amber was struggling to understand her.

‘No, thank you . . . Daisy, ain’t it? I can manage fine.’ Could she have known it, Daisy was finding her dialect difficult to understand too. She followed Daisy into the room and was pleasantly surprised. It was quite large and beautifully furnished, decorated in varying shades of pale greys and pinks, which made it feel very calming.

‘So you’re the latest nanny, are yer?’ Daisy asked and when Amber nodded, she chuckled. ‘The latest in a long line, eh? Them pair o’ little devils never manage to keep one fer more than a couple o’ months.’

‘Well, my position is only temporary until they start boarding school in the New Year,’ Amber informed her as she undid the ribbons on her bonnet and slid the cloak from her shoulders.

‘Just as well, I doubt you’d ’ave stuck it fer much longer than that,’ Daisy said with a grin. ‘But would yer like to see the boys’ room, an’ will yer want any ’elp wiv their unpackin’?’

Amber nodded and followed her from the room to the next door along. This one was decorated in shades of blue and a cheery fire was burning in the grate with a large guard placed around it. ‘This is the room the young ’uns usually use when they come to stay,’ Daisy told her. ‘But now, if yer sure there’s nuffin I can ’elp yer wiv I’d best gerr on else the missus will ’ave me guts fer garters.’

Amber smiled at her and as the girl bustled away she felt as if she had made at least one friend here. Daisy looked to be about the same age as herself and after all the heartache of the last few months she was like a breath of fresh air.

Minutes later the boys’ luggage was carried up to her and she spent the next hour unpacking their clothes and putting everything neatly away. She was just about finished when the door burst open and the boys sailed into the room.

‘The maid is bringing us afternoon tea up here, and you’re to have yours with us,’ Harry informed her. ‘Because the grown-ups want a few minutes to themselves.’ He was a good-looking young fellow with curly blond hair and bright-blue eyes, and already it was plain to see that he was going to be very handsome when he grew up. He was going to be tall too because he already reached just past Amber’s shoulder.