The boy nodded.

‘Have you been practising your French?’

He glanced up to the ceiling as though silently rehearsing the words before giving them voice. ‘Oui, mademoiselle,’ he said carefully. ‘Comment ça va?’

Charlotte shrieked with delight, and Lou joined Lady Mandeville and Mrs Hart in giving him a round of applause.

‘What an absolute genius,’ Mrs Hart said. ‘Barely four-years-old and already mastering foreign tongues. I see a future in the diplomatic service beckoning.’

Charlotte cupped her hand around the boy’s ear and whispered something. He slipped from the sofa and walked the two strides to Lou. Standing before her, he stared at her. ‘Good morning, Miss Louisa Arnold,’ he said very seriously. ‘My name is Albert William Morrison, and I am very happy to make your acquaintance.’ He bowed, eliciting another rapturous round of applause from his audience.

‘I’m very pleased to meet you too, Master Albert Morrison,’ Lou said, enchanted by this little boy with his mother’s kind eyes.

‘I think somebody has earned his treat today.’ Lady Mandeville said. ‘How would you like some scones and jam?’

Albert nodded enthusiastically. Mrs Hart filled a plate with treats and handed it to Charlotte who broke off pieces of scone. After smothering them with jam and cream, she fed them to Albert, and when the plate was cleared, she took a napkin and wiped his mouth. ‘What an absolute pet,’ she said. ‘Now, you may go and play.’

Albert skipped away and sat cross-legged on the rug before the fire, where a selection of toys had been arranged for him. He ignored a hobbyhorse, a train and a small army of tin soldiers, and settled on playing with a dolls’ house – a replica of Hill House in miniature.

‘That was my favourite plaything when I was small,’ Charlotte explained to Lou. ‘Of all the toys we put out for him, it’s his favourite too. Given the chance, he would play with it all day.’

Albert took up a wooden cigar box and removed the lid. Lying in compartments inside, were all manner of residents for the miniature Hill House – men and women, staff and children, dogs and cats. Turning his attention to the house, he removed the figure of a maid from the basement kitchen. He smoothed down her apron and red hair and after gently placing her in the box, selected the figure of a finely dressed woman and placed her in the morning room, joining three other ladies on the sofas.

‘Is that Miss Arnold?’ Charlotte asked.

Albert nodded and set about arranging little plates on the table.

‘Look how he concentrates,’ Mrs Hart mused. ‘He plays like a child well beyond his years. He is quite the old soul.’

‘Not too old to want a piggyback, I hope.’

All heads – including Lou’s – turned towards the door to see Captain Mandeville stride into the room. He had changed from his travelling clothes into a blue flannel suit. His face was clean, his hair combed and oiled to tame the unruly waves. In the winter sunlight flooding the room, Lou noticed that his hair was not quite as dark as it had seemed in the dim hall – now, each wave had an auburn hue. Pinching the legs of his trousers, he crouched before Albert, his elbows resting on his knees.