Elizabeth nodded. There was not even a hint of surprise.

‘When you left,’ Lou continued, ‘a letter arrived to say you had married a major and moved to India. Mrs Hart – Leonora – found it hard to believe but had to accept it. She’s always desperately wanted to know what became of you. She’s been so kind to me that I thought the least I could do was try to find you.’

‘Oh, my dear Louisa, I hate to think that Leo was pained by my departure. I never intended to leave Hill House, you know. It took me as much by surprise as my arrival had. Hill House had been my home for so many years, and the Mandevilles had been so good to me. It was the place where I grew from a child into a young woman. But I’m sure you don’t want to hear the ramblings of an old lady.’

‘Oh, I do. Please go on,’ Lou said, taking as much comfort as Elizabeth in talking about their shared experiences.

Elizabeth took another sip of sherry. ‘I was lost, you see, when I arrived. The Mandevilles welcomed me into their home with such warmth and kindness. My entire family – my parents and grandparents – had been killed in an air raid. Our beautiful home, on a square in Kensington, was reduced to a pile of rubble. I only survived because I had been spending the night at a friend’s house. My older brother was an RAF pilot, and my parents had received news only the week before that his aeroplane had gone down in the Channel and he was missing. It was a terrible time. A terrible time.’ Elizabeth shook her head. Lou encouraged her to take a sip of sherry.

‘I was twelve years old, and all alone in the world. A sad little orphan girl. With no family to look after me, I became the responsibility of the authorities, and they put me on a train from Euston to the countryside. The carriages were full of children wailing for their mothers. It was pitiful. After many hours, we arrived at a station and were taken to a church hall where families chose which of us to take in. I was so dreadfully upset and angry. I didn’t want to be selected by somebody I didn’t know. I’m sure they were all kind and well meaning, but I wanted none of it. So, I slipped away when nobody was looking. I had no idea where I was going, but just outside the church was a set of gates to a house. I ran up the drive, hoping to escape before my absence was noticed. I looked through the windows of the house and found all of the rooms quite empty. What little furniture remained was covered by dustsheets. The house was clearly deserted. I decided then and there that I would set up home in that abandoned place. I was a resilient little spirit and resolved to fend for myself. I explored the grounds to see whether I might catch a trout in the lake for supper. I don’t know how I thought I would catch anything with no rod or line!