Ruby nodded and gulped. Right until the last minute they had left Mr Pembroke’s house, she had hoped and prayed that Maddie would appear and beg her to go home with her, especially as she’d felt closer to her after the chat they had had after she’d been injured. Ruby had imagined Maddie confessing that she was her birth mother and them living happily ever after together, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen now. If Maddie really was her mother it was clear she wanted her no more now than she had when she had been born.

‘You must come and see us often. It takes no time at all on the train,’ Miss Wood urged. ‘We’re all going to miss you so much.’

Ruby managed a watery smile and continued placing her things into the chest of drawers, and once it was done, they made their way back downstairs.

‘Ah.’ Mr Pembroke rose from his seat. ‘We really ought to be going, Serena. I believe we shall be just in time for the next train back to Birmingham if we leave now.’

Hermione Pembroke’s eyebrow rose at her nephew’s familiarity in using his housekeeper’s name but she said not a word as Miss Wood nodded. Much like her brother, she had long ago realised that Serena Wood had feelings for Oscar and she wondered now if they were being reciprocated. She hoped so, he was overdue a bit of happiness. He had certainly never known any with that horrid little strumpet of a wife of his! Admittedly, Serena was only a housekeeper, but she was a genteel, kind woman and Hermione secretly thought her nephew could do a lot worse. The trouble was he was still tied to Lydia, for now at least.

‘I shall be back to see you all very soon,’ Oscar promised as he took Miss Wood’s elbow and led her towards the door. ‘And I hope you will be very happy here, Ruby. You know where we are if you need anything.’

‘Yes – thank you, sir.’

Oscar turned and pecked his aunt on the cheek and seconds later he and Miss Wood were gone. The next chapter of her life was about to begin, and Ruby wondered what would go wrong this time.

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

‘Come and sit down here and tell me all about yourself, girl,’ Hermione said when they were finally alone.

Ruby obediently perched on the edge of one of the leather chairs and mumbled, ‘There’s not much to tell really, Miss Pembroke.’

‘You must call me Hermione. I can’t be doing with standing on ceremony. And as regards to my question, that isn’t what my nephew told me,’ Aunt Hermione answered in her no-nonsense voice. ‘He informs me that you’ve had quite a difficult time of it lately.’