‘This little girl,’ one of the critics said, ‘plays with a naturalness and charm which is a lesson to many actresses three times her age.’

Another wrote: ‘When little Miss Thursday was on the stage this play took on new life and meaning.’

To Sarah’s surprise Margaret took her success very calmly. The first night excitement being over she settled down into accepting – as she had when she had acted in Little Lord Fauntleroy – that, though she was proud of herself because she was Margaret Thursday, she was not proud of herself as an actress. That was something different altogether.

The day after the first night Sarah delivered Margaret to the schoolroom as usual. All the servants had been to the first night and had been very impressed by Margaret’s performance. In one jump they had elevated her from ‘that child who does lessons with our Miss Katie’ to ‘Miss Katie’s little friend Margaret.’ When Sarah brought her to the private entrance to the theatre the door was opened by Hilton, the butler. He smiled broadly at Margaret.

‘We were all there last night, Miss, and we thought you ever so good. Mrs Melly said to tell you she’s sending up a cake lunchtime that she’s made special and Annie’ (Annie was the parlourmaid) ‘she couldn’t get over how you looked in your coronation dress.’

‘You tell her,’ said Margaret, ‘she wouldn’t like it so much if she had to wear it. I have to be put in it for I can’t move properly when it’s on.’

Katie and Miss Grey had seen Margaret after the play the night before, but they were delighted to see her in the schoolroom.

‘I had thought you would be tired, dear, and have a long lie in bed,’ said Miss Grey.

‘I was afraid you wouldn’t come,’ Katie agreed. ‘I am so glad you have, it’s dull when you don’t.’

Sarah, when the girls weren’t listening, said to Miss Grey:

‘I thought while you took Katie to her music this afternoon you might put Margaret to have a lie-down with a book. She must be tired, though she doesn’t seem it.’

That day the letter came. Margaret had given Lavinia the theatre address and, knowing she was doing lessons with Katie, Bill Todd had sent Margaret’s letter up with the family mail, being careful to draw Henry’s attention to the crest on the flap of the envelope.

‘See that,’ he said as he passed the letter over. ‘Our Margaret may have been found in a basket, but she knows some of the right people.’ Lavinia’s letter read just as if she was talking.

We are all so happy, it’s as if those awful days never happened. Grandfather still has not found proof that we are his grandchildren but he says he knows we are and that’s all that matters. None of us care. I do not really want to be Lady Lavinia. Imagine how all those I worked with at Sedgecombe Place would laugh. My governess is very nice and so is our tutor and we spend glorious days riding round the estate. Now for my most important news. In the first week after Christmas Grandfather is bringing us all to London to see a pantomime and of course your play, so wait for a knock on your dressing-room door, it will be us.