‘Then I shall tell you about them,’ she said with a smile. ‘And before you leave you must meet them. They’re both quite lovely, but then I’m their mother so I would say that, wouldn’t I? Henry, or Harry as we call him, is almost ten, and George is almost nine. But I should warn you, just like most young boys they can be very mischievous so you will have to let them know who is in charge right from the start or they’ll run rings around you, I’m afraid. My husband always says I’m far too lenient with them but then he isn’t much better himself.’ She gave a tinkling laugh and just for a moment Amber’s face was transformed as she smiled back. This woman made it very hard to remember there was a class divide between them.

‘But now while we have a chat, we shall have a cup of tea. It’s a little early for elevenses but who cares?’ Rising she went to the side of the large marble fireplace where a cheery fire was roaring up the chimney and pulled a silken rope. Soon yet another maid in a starched white apron and a cap, both trimmed with broderie anglaise, appeared and dipped her knee.

‘Yes, ma’am?’

‘Tea for two, if you please, Binny,’ Mrs Temple told her. ‘Oh, and you might tell Cook we wouldn’t be averse to some of those lovely shortbread biscuits she made yesterday to go with it, if there are any left.’ She grinned at Amber as the maid left, confiding, ‘They’re Master Harry’s absolute favourite and I’ve no doubt he’s been cadging them off the cook. He can wrap her around his little finger. But now, let’s get down to business . . .’

For the next ten minutes they discussed Amber’s wages, which Amber thought were very generous indeed, and what duties she would be expected to perform, and then Binny appeared wheeling a little tea trolley loaded with a silver teapot, bone china cups and saucers and a number of fancy pastries on a plate, along with some of the shortbread biscuits.

‘Do help yourself,’ Mrs Temple encouraged as she strained the tea into the delicate cups, and feeling much more relaxed than she had when she’d arrived, Amber willingly did as she was told. It wasn’t often she got to have such delicacies. Eventually, when they were done, Mrs Temple again pulled the silken rope and when Binny appeared she asked her, ‘Could you fetch Master Harry and Master George down from the nursery, please, if they’ve finished their lesson.’

‘Oh, they have, ma’am, I just saw Mr Bowler leaving,’ the nurse informed her. Mr Bowler, Amber was to learn, was the boys’ tutor who came in daily to teach them.