The house was nowhere near as large or as grand as Mr Pembroke’s but it was very comfortably furnished and everywhere was spotlessly clean. As they entered what she presumed was the sitting room she glanced about. There were comfortable leather wing chairs and a large chenille sofa covered with cushions, and a highly polished mahogany sideboard stood against one wall. Dark-green velvet curtains framed the large window room which had a warm comfortable feel to it and wasn’t at all ostentatious.

‘Ah, so you’ve arrived!’ A strong voice came from the depths of one of the wing chairs and looking over Ruby saw a woman sitting there. She hadn’t noticed her straightaway, which was hardly surprising because she was tiny and extremely thin – the complete antithesis of Mrs B.

Oscar hurried over to her and gently kissed each cheek as Ruby stood nervously next to Miss Wood.

‘So, you’ve brought the girl then?’ She was wearing metal-framed spectacles on the end of her nose and was dressed in a very plain black bombazine gown with a high neck. But it was the jewels she was wearing that Ruby could hardly tear her eyes away from. On a gold chain about her neck was the most beautiful sapphire pendant framed with diamonds that Ruby had ever seen, and on each of her tiny fingers were rings set with different gemstones that sparkled with every slight movement she made. Her grey hair was plaited and coiled about her head and her face was heavily wrinkled, making it hard for Ruby to judge how old she might be. But even so, the regal way she held herself and her bright-blue eyes told her that she must have been a beauty in her day and Ruby wondered why she had never married. ‘Well, come here then, girl, an’ let’s have a look at you,’ the woman said sharply and Ruby hastily stepped forward.

The woman gazed at her closely for a long time before exchanging a glance with Oscar who lowered his eyes. Finally she said, ‘You are most welcome. Ruby, isn’t it? And when Miss Wood and my nephew have gone, I shall explain your duties to you. I am sure we shall get along very well. Oscar tells me you like gemstones.’

‘Yes, ma’am. Though I don’t know much about ’em.’ Ruby flushed under the close scrutiny, but thankfully the woman turned her attention to Miss Wood then, asking, ‘And you, Serena, how are you? Better, I should imagine, now you haven’t got that flibbertigibbet wife of his to run after all the time.’

It certainly seemed that, tiny as she was, the woman wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.

‘I’m very well, thank you, Miss Pembroke,’ Miss Wood answered tactfully.