Ray tapped his foot, crossed his arms and uncrossed them again. He fixed his gaze on the flight of steps leading down to the platform, willing her to appear. Behind him, all the train doors were shut and the guard was checking his pocket watch. Any second, he’d blow his whistle and the train would start to pull out.

Perhaps he should forget about her and climb on board? He mustn’t leave it too late. A fine to-do that would be, if he got left behind with all the tickets in his jacket pocket. That’d take some explaining to his Nibs. It wouldn’t be the best of starts.

He should’ve handed the tickets out when everyone arrived at Paddington and he’d crossed their names off his list. All present and correct, except one: Maggie Corbett.

He might have guessed she wouldn’t turn up. She wasn’t supposed to be coming at all but yesterday, everything changed. She’d come to find him in the banking hall, wanting to know the exact location of Lord Ashford’s house.

Ray had frowned and tapped his foot. ‘What’s it to you? Last I heard, you said to count you out. But, seeing as you’re asking, it’s in the Cotswolds.’

Her face fell. ‘We’ve had the postcard, see, with my sister’s address. She’s a vackie and she’s been sent to Gloucestershire. But I’ve got it all wrong, then. I thought that’s where Lord Ashford’s house was.’

Ray sighed. He didn’t have time for this. He had labourers to oversee and a hundred and one things to do. ‘The Cotswolds and Gloucestershire overlap,’ he explained. ‘The house is in both.’

‘I know it’s a lady’s prerogative and all that, Miss Corbett,’ he said, ‘but are you coming now, or not? We’re leaving tomorrow, ten o’clock sharp, from Paddington. I’m in charge of travel chits and tickets. Should I get one for you?’

‘Yes!’ she’d said, eyes gleaming. ‘Oh, yes please! I’ll be there!’

But she wasn’t here; she’d let him down. He’d quite liked her, up to now, Maggie Corbett. Oh, not in that way. A little cockney sparrow – practically ‘the girl next door’ – wouldn’t do for him at all. He had his sights set higher than that. But she was down to earth, without the airs and graces of some he could mention, and he knew how it felt to want to escape the docklands and better yourself.

She must have thought she’d landed on her feet when she got the position at Rosman’s Bank and then – the thought of it still made him smile – she’d fallen flat on her face coming through the front door. Pure slapstick. Ray had nearly burst, trying not to laugh.