‘Sorry!’ She smiled at her before flapping her hand at the tea-stained apron she was holding. ‘I was just comin’ up to get a clean one. I tell you, that Miss Miranda is a little she-devil. It’s about time somebody put her over their knee an’ gave her arse a good old-fashioned spankin’!’ Her hand flew to her mouth then. ‘Ooh, sorry again! I just realised you’re going to be working for her, ain’t you? But just take a bit o’ well-intended advice and be on your guard.’

‘I will,’ Ruby promised and then with Betty still cursing beneath her breath as she hurried on to the room they were to share, Ruby went downstairs.

She found Miss Wood having a tea break with Cook and as she entered the room the woman looked at her admiringly. ‘Why, Ruby, you look quite smart now. Well done.’

She took the dresses that were not required and told her, ‘We may as well take you to meet Miss Miranda. She should be finished her morning lessons by now, although I think she has a piano lesson booked for this afternoon. We’ll go and see, shall we?’ With a friendly nod towards Cook, Miss Wood led Ruby from the room and once in the main part of the house Ruby stared about her in awe. Her feet sank into one of the thick pile rugs that were scattered about the floor, and the black and white tiles beneath them gleamed like mirrors. However, Ruby didn’t have long to admire them before a door further along was suddenly flung open and a girl who appeared to be about her age emerged looking red-faced.

‘I shan’t do any stupid homework!’ she stormed to whoever was still in the room she was leaving. ‘And you can tell my mother for all I care. She won’t make me.’ Spotting Miss Wood and Ruby, she stopped screeching abruptly and frowned. ‘And who is this, then?’ She approached them and began to circle Ruby, staring at her up and down, much as Ruby had seen the farmers back at home do to the cattle on market day.

Ruby felt her cheeks grow hot but she remained where she was, keeping her eyes trained firmly ahead.

‘This is Ruby, Miss Miranda. She’s come to be your new maid,’ Miss Wood informed her. ‘And I do hope you’ll be a little nicer to her than you were to the last girl.’

Miranda stopped abruptly and glared at her, hands on hips. ‘Don’t you try and tell me what to do, Wood,’ she said rudely. ‘Otherwise I shall tell Mother you’ve been horrible to me.’