‘Yes, miss.’ With clenched teeth but her smile still firmly in place Ruby left the room thinking what a spoilt little pig Miranda was. Her manners were appalling.

By the time she got back downstairs the maids had carried the food through to the sideboard in the dining room ready for the family to help themselves, and now that the rush was over Cook was seated at the table again with another cup of tea in front of her before she got breakfast ready for the staff.

Ruby joined her. ‘How old is Miranda?’ she asked.

‘She’ll be sixteen in March.’

Ruby was surprised to hear that she was older than her, she certainly didn’t act it, but she didn’t comment. The woman stood up then with a sigh, ‘No peace for the wicked.’ She smiled at Ruby. ‘I’d best get you lot fed now.’

Ruby rose too. ‘That will be lovely but I’d better pop up and tidy Miss Miranda’s room as she told me to.’ She hurried upstairs again, hopeful that the tidying would only take a few minutes after all the work she had done the day before, because she was very hungry now. The minute she opened the bedroom door, though, she sighed with dismay and frustration. Almost every drawer was hanging open and the contents were scattered across the room. She’d obviously decided she didn’t want to wear the outfit that Ruby had got out for her after all!

Spiteful little bitch, Ruby thought resentfully as she once again set about putting everything away. Miranda had clearly done it on purpose but all Ruby could do was grin and bear it.

It took some time and she was just finishing when Miranda breezed in with a nasty smile on her face. ‘I changed my mind about what to wear and didn’t know where you’d put everything so I had to get it all out again,’ she said with a smirk. ‘I do hope I haven’t made you miss breakfast.’

‘Don’t worry about it, miss, I’m sure Cook will rustle something up for me,’ Ruby forced herself to say calmly, and without another word she left the room closing the door quietly behind her.

‘Ah, here you are.’ Cook raised an eyebrow as Ruby stormed into the kitchen. ‘What kept you? Everyone else has eaten, but don’t worry I kept some food warm for you.’ She hurried to the oven and returned with a plateful of fried black pudding, bacon, sausage and eggs.

Ruby gave her a grateful smile as she took a seat at the table and told her what Miranda had done.

‘Hm, it don’t surprise me a bit.’ Cook wiped her hands down her apron. ‘She’d have done that just to rile you, but don’t rise to her bait.’