‘Then if it offends you so much, I suggest you don’t stay here anymore,’ he had told her tartly and she had instantly started to cry. Like her mother, Miranda had always been able to turn the tears on at will, but they didn’t cut any ice with him anymore. ‘You don’t seem concerned that your mother intends to marry so why should you be bothered about me doing the same?’

‘But Mother is marrying a lord!’

‘And good luck to her,’ Oscar had replied. ‘I hope they will be very happy. I know I will be.’ And with that he had flounced from the room, leaving her in no doubt whatsoever of how much she had upset him.

For a while she had sulked, but then slowly as she thought of where Ruby was now, the sly smile had returned. None of them had any idea that she had been involved in Ruby’s disappearance and it was highly unlikely that they ever would; she had planned the whole thing much too carefully. It seemed there was nothing she could do to stop her father from marrying Serena, but at least Ruby was out of the way, which was some consolation.

Now Oscar quickly left the room and found Serena standing in the drawing room gazing out of the window. ‘I apologise for Miranda’s behaviour back then—’ he began, but she held up her hand to shush him.

‘She’s bound to feel a little upset.’ Her voice was weary. ‘She’s had so many changes to contend with lately.’

Oscar shook his head. ‘That is no excuse; she’s not a child! What puzzles me is that she suddenly seemed to be getting on so well with Ruby and yet since she disappeared, she has seemed to relish the fact.’

When he crossed to her and took her in his arms, she laid her head gently on his chest and heaved a great sigh. ‘I still can’t believe that Ruby would just have gone off like that,’ she said quietly. ‘She had such a wonderful career ahead of her and she seemed so happy with Hermione.’

Oscar nodded in agreement. It appeared that all the people who had come to love the girl were unable to accept that she was a thief; Bill had been out searching for her every spare moment he had, and Maddie and Mrs Petty had been frequent visitors hoping for news of her. The only person who didn’t seem to question it was Miranda . . .