‘What are you doing abovestairs, Miss Whatever-your-name is?’ barked Lady Glensheil.

‘I got to be done right by,’ whined the maid. She pointed at Angela. ‘Her son done took my cherry.’

‘What has this to do with fruit?’ demanded her ladyship.

‘I’ll deal with it,’ said Angela hurriedly.

She stepped forward and took the girl by the arm and hustled her into an ante-room.

‘What’s this about, girl?’

‘Your son bedded with me last night.’

‘You must have led him on!’

‘Not me, mum. I feel I ought to go to the perlice. After all, a fellow who ruins a poor girl like me must be up to worst.’

Angela slumped down in a chair.

‘What’s your name?’ she demanded.

‘Alice Turvey, mum.’

‘How much?’

‘I don’t rightly understand, mum.’

‘You want money, don’t you? How much?’

Alice put her apron up to her face to dab her dry eyes while figures ran through her head. ‘Two hunner’ guineas,’ she finally gasped out.

‘You shall have it,’ said Angela wearily.

‘When?’

‘Now. Come to my rooms. But you must leave this house.’ Angela always carried a great deal of money with her.

Alice bobbed a curtsy and followed her. Ten minutes later she ran down the stairs to the servants’ quarters and signalled to the pot-boy, who followed her out the kitchen door.

‘Did you get it?’ he asked.

‘Two hunner’ guineas,’ said Alice triumphantly.

‘Told you she’d pay up. When d’you get the money?’

‘I got it.’

‘Good. I’ll steal what I can and we’ll get out of here tonight. It’s off to ’merica for us.’

‘But the police might stop us.’

‘Easy. You’ve been fired, that’s what you’ll say, and I’m helping you with your bag.’

Kerridge started the interviews all over again the following day but his researches were interrupted as various guests came in to complain they had been robbed. Lord Alfred said his gold cigarette case was missing, Lady Glensheil could not find a silver buttonhook, Maisie screeched that her pearl necklace had gone, Tristram Baker-Willis said he had been robbed of twenty pounds which he had left in his dressing-table drawer and the others complained of expensive trifles that had been taken from their rooms. Only Rose’s and Harry’s rooms had been left untouched.

It was quickly established that both the kitchen maid and the pot-boy were gone. A shame-faced policeman on guard outside the gates to keep the press at bay said he had questioned the couple when they left the estate but they both said they had been dismissed and the young girl had cried most touchingly.

Irritated, Kerridge started the hunt for the missing couple.

And Lady Rose Summer received a proposal of marriage.