Cook snorted. ‘Lord love us, do you not even know that? It’s Pembroke. There’s the master an’ mistress, not that we see a lot of her ’cause she’s an invalid and spends most of her time in bed. There’s Miss Miranda, who you’ve met. An’ then there’s old Master Pembroke, the young master’s father. He’s retired now an’ the young master has taken over his business.’

‘Oh, and what’s that?’ Ruby was interested.

‘Why, old Walter Pembroke was one o’ the best goldsmiths in Birmingham,’ Cook informed her. ‘He’s made jewellery for royalty in his time, so he has, and he’s got jewellery shops all over the country. The young master manages them now and he’s a good jeweller himself, to be fair. The old man still has a workshop here but none of the servants are allowed in there even to clean it. He still likes to come up with original designs, although he leaves it to his son to have them made up these days.’

‘I see.’ Ruby was thoughtful; this new family she had come to work for sounded like a talented bunch and she was curious to meet them, especially considering they made jewellery, which ever since she’d read those books at Maddie’s house, she’d decided she would love to do herself. Of course, it was out of reach for a girl like her, but still, it would be exciting just to get a look at the workshop. But her thoughts were interrupted when Cook told her, ‘You’d best get Miss Miranda’s tray of tea ready for her. She likes to have it in bed then she’ll probably come down to have breakfast with her father before he leaves for work. And don’t forget, don’t take no nonsense off her. That’s been the trouble with all the other maids she’s had. She bullied them somethin’ rotten but not one of ’em was brave enough to stand up to her.’

Ruby nodded and as she prepared the tray she thought on what Cook had said. The trouble was the advice she had given was more easily said than done. She had only just started here so she could hardly cause trouble just yet when she had nowhere else to go. Once the tray was ready, she carefully carried it up the stairs and tapped on Miranda’s door. There was no answer so she tapped again a little louder but still there was only silence so she tentatively inched the door open. She could see Miranda’s shape beneath the bed covers and after placing the tray down she crossed to the window and swished the curtains aside, allowing light to flood into the room.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ an angry voice growled from beneath the blankets.