‘I just ’ope you’re doin’ the right thing,’ Nancy whispered when Becky went down to the kitchen to fetch their dinner tray up. Mrs Boswell had temporarily taken over the cooking duties since the cook had left and it was beginning to look like she didn’t know how to cook anything but porridge and stew.

‘I don’t really have much choice if I want to be wi’ me baby, do I?’

‘No, I suppose you don’t,’ Nancy agreed glumly. ‘But be prepared, the townsfolk are goin’ to call you to hell an’ back when word gets out.’

*

Two days later, Barnaby got the keys to the house and by the end of the week he had men in repairing the windows and the roof. Others were sent to scythe down the worst of the weeds in the gardens. Finally, he sent in a sweep to sweep all the chimneys and at last it was time for Amber to put her stamp on it. Becky was left to care for Charlotte while the groom took Nancy, Amber and all the cleaning materials they might need to make a start on the inside.

‘Blimey, this is some place, ain’t it?’ Nancy said wonderingly as Amber showed her around. ‘An’ it’s so big!’

‘I know,’ Amber said happily. ‘But now we’d better make a start. Goodness knows how long it’s goin’ to take to make the place liveable.’

Crossing to the window she tore down the curtains making dust fly into the room, then she flung all the doors open to get some air in. Meanwhile Nancy lit the fire so they could boil some water and looked about, wondering where they should start. They were certainly going to be busy, that was for sure!

‘Let’s wash all the furniture down and see what’s worth salvagin’ first, shall we?’ Amber suggested. ‘An’ what ain’t any good we can drag outside an’ have a bonfire.’

Two hours later they stopped to make a cup of tea as they sat staring at what they’d uncovered. There was a solid oak dresser that Amber thought would look lovely with plates and china on, and the large table that took up the centre of the room was fine and sturdy, although the seats of the chairs would need re-covering as the moths had feasted on them. There were two leather wing chairs either side of the fireplace and after washing the many layers of dust off them they, too, were found to be in remarkably good condition.

‘Ooh, I can just picture you sittin’ ’ere in front o’ the inglenook on a cold winter night,’ Nancy said enviously and Amber snorted.