‘She says my uncle and Mrs Carter are gettin’ wed the second week o’ June,’ she told Nancy as the coach rocked along the rutted lanes. ‘But I don’t see as I can go now. We’ll have moved into the house by then an’ I can hardly leave Mr Greenwood to take care o’ Charlotte, can I?’

‘So take her wi’ you!’ Nancy suggested. ‘I dare say your family would love to see ’er an’ a break after all the ’ard work you’ve done would do you the power o’ good.’

‘Hm, I’m not so sure the master would agree to it.’ Amber chewed on her lip. ‘Not after I took off wi’ her before.’

‘Well, you won’t know if you don’t ask him, will you?’

‘I suppose I could but I’ll have to choose me moment carefully,’ Amber said thoughtfully.

They arrived at the house to find old Trampy Ned hovering by the back door and after Amber had given him some of the sandwiches she had brought for her and Nancy’s lunch he tipped his hat to her and set off again as the two girls set to work.

*

The following week, Barnaby said a sad goodbye to the staff from Greenacres and sent them off with their wages and a bonus in their pockets – only Mrs Boswell would remain, a little like the captain of a sinking ship, until the auctioneers arrived to begin an inventory of the contents of the house. When they were done she would hand over the keys to the solicitor before beginning her journey to Nuneaton, a small market town in the Midlands where she was to stay with her daughter for a time before she looked for another post.

Then at last, he, Amber and Charlotte were ready to move in to their new home. As they stepped inside, Charlotte on Barnaby’s hip, he smiled. ‘Thank you for all the hard work you’ve put into this place, you’ve done a marvellous job,’ he said appreciatively.

‘I did it for Charlotte,’ Amber said shortly, hurrying to the sink to fill the kettle and ignoring Barnaby’s resigned sigh.