‘Thank you, I will.’ Ruby hurried along the hallway.

Maddie was sitting by the fire when Ruby entered the drawing room, and she looked up and beamed when she saw who was there. Patting the seat beside her, she said, ‘Come and sit down. What have you got there?’ she asked eyeing the package in Ruby’s hand.

‘It’s just another small gift,’ Ruby told her as she handed it over.

Maddie opened it to reveal a beautiful fringed shawl in autumn colours. ‘Why, it’s beautiful! But the gloves you gave me were quite enough. I also have a little something for you as it happens.’ She rose from the sofa to fetch a prettily wrapped package from the sideboard and gave it to Ruby.

Ruby’s face lit up when she opened it to find a lovely fur stole inside.

‘I thought it would go nicely with that pretty coat you treated yourself to a while ago,’ Maddie told her and Ruby impulsively leant across to peck her cheek. She was surprised to find that her heart was hammering so loudly she was worried Maddie might hear it. It always did when they met and Ruby suspected that it was because each time she saw her, she wondered whether this might be the time that Maddie would admit to being her real mother. On that score, however, she was to be sadly disappointed yet again and they simply spoke of what they had each been doing over the holidays.

‘And how is that appalling daughter of Oscar’s behaving now?’ Maddie asked just as Ruby was preparing to leave.

‘I haven’t seen much of her,’ Ruby admitted. ‘She left to spend Christmas with her mother the day after we arrived, but I’m really beginning to think she’s changed for the better.’

‘Oh yes, and what makes you think that?’ Maddie raised an eyebrow.

‘Well . . . she’s offered to help me find my mother – my real mother, I mean,’ Ruby said quickly as she felt colour flooding into her cheeks.

Maddie’s smile faded, and just for a moment Ruby could have sworn she saw a look of unease flit across her face. ‘It’s up to you, of course,’ Maddie said primly. ‘But you are well settled in a good home with an interesting career ahead of you, so my advice would be to leave well alone. Let sleeping dogs lie.’

Disappointment made tears burn at the back of Ruby’s eyes and she furiously blinked them away. If Maddie really was her mother, then once again she had chosen not to confess it.

Still, she told herself, the truth was bound to come out in the end and although it was frustrating, she could wait.

Maddie kissed her warmly when she left, and by the time they arrived back at Mr Pembroke’s, it was dark.