He was busily grooming Mr Pembroke’s stallion and he started. ‘Oh . . . hello, Ruby.’

She instantly sensed that he was ill at ease so she asked softly, ‘Have I done something to offend you? You seem to have been avoiding me.’

He shrugged. ‘Not at all, miss.’

‘Miss!’ Her eyes flashed fire. ‘Where did that come from? My name is Ruby.’

‘Ah, but it’s Miss Ruby now, ain’t it?’ He sighed as he paused in the grooming. ‘Now that Mr Pembroke has recognised you as his daughter everything’s changed.’

‘In what way?’

‘Well, I hardly think they’d want to see you walking out with a groom, do you? No doubt they’ll have their sights set on a rich husband for you.’

‘What!’ Ruby was incensed. ‘I never took you for a snob, Bill! I’m still exactly the same person I was when I came to live here!’

He shook his head. ‘Ah, but you’re not, are you? You’re now the daughter of a very wealthy man while I’m hardly what you’d call rich.’

‘And what difference does that make? In case you’ve forgotten, Mr Pembroke . . . my father . . .’ It still felt strange to think of him as such. ‘My father is going to marry his housekeeper when his divorce comes through, which proves he’s far from being a snob. And anyway, you’re not only a groom, but you’re now also an apprentice goldsmith and a very good one from what I heard him saying. He has high hopes for you so don’t make that an excuse for keeping your distance from me. If you don’t like me, at least be big enough to tell me to my face so that I know where I stand!’

‘Don’t like you!’ His eyes were flashing as he flung the grooming brush down and strode over to stand in front of her, his hands on his hips. ‘Well, just so you know, miss . . . No I don’t like you – I bloody love you and I think I have ever since I came to live here! When Maddie first took you to live with her you were no more than a kid, but then when I came here I suddenly realised you’d turned into a young woman. So what do you think of that, eh?’

Ruby’s face softened and she giggled. ‘I think that’s just what I wanted to hear,’ she told him boldly. ‘Because as it happens, I love you too.’ And then suddenly she was in his arms and as his lips came down on hers finally, everything felt right with the world.