Gwen’s eyes lit up. ‘Are you the same Maggie that’s offered to turn Maureen’s overcoat? I’ve got another to lend her, while you do it.’

‘Then I definitely shall, whenever you can let me have it, Mrs Mason.’

The housekeeper gave a distracted nod, she was still watching the spectacle down on the lawn.

Maggie turned to Gwen. ‘Do you live in the village?’

Before she could answer, Mrs Mason said, ‘She grew up in the village, ain’t that right, Gwen? We go back a long way. Gwen used to play with his Lordship when they were nippers and I was kitchen maid here. She hadn’t seen him for nigh on thirty years, when, heaven preserve us, he turned up at the knitting circle!’

‘You used to play with Lord Ashford?’ Maggie asked. It was hard to imagine him as a boy. She wanted to add, ‘What was he like?’ but thought better of it.

‘Yes. In the holidays, when he came back from school. None of the village boys would play with him, so I took pity on him.’ She laughed. ‘Of course, later, when they found out he could play cricket, he was welcomed with open arms.’

Mrs Mason gave the girls on the lawn one last glare and gathered up the laundry from the bed. ‘Come on, Gwen. This lot won’t iron itself. And as for those men—’ she called back from the doorway ‘—it shouldn’t be allowed! We shall have to put bromide in their tea!’

Men? Maggie cupped her hands and peered out of the window. There! Lurking under the cedar trees at the edge of the lawn, she could just make out two male figures. They looked suspiciously like Norm and Bill. They were probably on their way back from the swimming pool and they’d decided to spy on the girls.

Maggie glanced down at the women but they were too busy touching their toes to notice. Miss Sharp would go barmy if she spotted them. It was lucky for Ray, she thought, that he wasn’t among them. Miss Sharp already had him earmarked as a troublemaker.

Chapter 31

A week later, Maggie and Charity were sitting on the wall around the dung heap, which was a haven of warmth on wintery days like today. Steam rose from the heaps of straw mixed with animal droppings. Maggie didn’t even mind the smell anymore, although she was careful not to sit downwind of it.

‘Say, I like your wellingtons!’ Charity said, looking down. ‘You do look the part!’

Ray had ordered boots for all staff and Mrs Mason was already complaining at the number of pairs piling up at the back door.

‘Can’t you put ’em away?’ she moaned. ‘One inside the other and then chuck ’em in the boot store? It’s not difficult!’