Icy wind bit at her bare arms, and the trailing hem of her dress soaked up moisture from the deep snow as she put her head down and pressed on across the lawn. With the lingering sensation of George’s fingers around her neck, she took the path around the side of the house and snuck into the conservatory.

She stood for a moment, damp and shivering, letting warmth seep from the heated floor tiles through the soles of her slippers. Opening the door to the deserted billiard room, she heard music and chatter float in from the ballroom. With one eye on the door to the hall and remembering the wild look in George’s eyes, she hitched up her skirt, ran across the room and slipped through the hidden door beside the fireplace.

The winding stone steps headed down to the kitchen and up to the bedrooms on the floors above. If she could just make her way to the first floor unnoticed then she could slip out on to the landing and sneak to her room. She was only halfway up when the sound of footsteps made her stop.

‘Miss! What are you doing here?’

She looked down. Sally was heading towards her.

‘Your dress! What’s happened to your dress, and oh, your hair!’

Lou put her finger to her lips. ‘Please, Sally,’ she whispered, ‘don’t give me away. I need to get back to my room without being seen.’

Sally placed her tray of canapés on a step and began to fiddle with Lou’s hair. ‘Oh Miss, you’re soaking. Whatever made you go outside? I’d come and help make you presentable, only we’re rushed off our feet. I’d be missed and … oh, Lord.’‘You don’t need to worry. I’m not going back to the party.’

‘Not going back to the party?’

‘Please Sally, you need to listen to me. I’m leaving tonight, but you can’t tell anyone.’

‘Leaving?’

‘I’m needed at home.’ She didn’t want to lie to Sally, and there was real truth in what she said.

‘Of course, Miss. We shall all miss you.’

‘I’m truly sorry,’ Lou said.

‘It’s me who should be sorry. I’ve no right to make you feel bad. I’m nothing to you.’

‘Oh, Sally, that’s not true. You’ve no idea how much you mean to me. I would never have survived this last week without your help. You pulled off a miracle and turned me into a lady.’

Sally smiled sadly. ‘I succeeded in turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse, then?’

‘You certainly did. And will you do one more thing for me?’ Lou slipped her necklace over her head and pressed it into Sally’s hands. ‘Please give this to Mary. If anyone asks, you should say it’s a gift, and I want her to have it.’

‘Mary?’ Sally ran her thumb over the smooth pearls. ‘What will a young girl like Mary do with a necklace such as this?’

‘She’ll put it to much better use than I ever could. And what about you, Sally, I’d like to make a gift to you, to thank you for taking care of me.’