‘And I definitely can’t stay here forever,’ Rosie pointed out. ‘So I don’t know where I’ll go,’ she finished gloomily.

The heavy mood vanished as the excited children scooped pebbles and shells from little pools left behind by the outgoing tide.

As excited as the two children, Sybil cried, ‘Look, a starfish!’

The breeze, the sunshine and her children’s happy laughter brought a glow to Rosie’s face, and she, like Sybil, ran about gathering seaside treasures, after which the two women sat on the sandbanks watching Ronnie skim flat pebbles into the sea. Suddenly turning to Sybil, Rosie came straight to the point.

‘So when are we going to get our own back on Monty Baldwin?’

Looking thunderstruck, Sybil was momentarily speechless.

‘That’s what you want, isn’t it?’

Sybil nodded before stuttering, ‘B … but now that you know the truth about why I was always poking my nose into your business, I rather got the impression that you felt thoroughly exploited.’

‘You know, I certainly did,’ Rosie answered bluntly.

Seeing Sally throw herself on to Sybil’s lap in order to show her the pretty pink shell she had just unearthed brought a grin to Rosie’s face. With a knowing twinkle in her eye, she added, ‘But, seeing as my kids aren’t bearing any grudges, I got to thinking – why should I?’

Back in the Home, Rosie and Sybil colluded. Ironically, because neither of them had a baby to mind, they had plenty of time, though both still had to do the mandatory morning chores; the afternoons, no longer taken up with relaxation and exercise classes, were free. Racking her brains, Sybil explained the problem.

‘Are you absolutely sure that Monty gets money from Lady Veronica’s family estate?’

‘I’d swear on the Bible,’ Rosie assured Sybil.

‘Servants know everything. Who’s helping themselves to the port, how much the Stowupland gardener got tipped at Christmas compared with the Dowry House gardener, what her ladyship pays for Marigold’s party dresses, his lordship’s little flirtation with the new parlour maid. Nothing is a secret below stairs. Besides, it’s obvious that the Brigadier lives well beyond his means as an Army officer – he’s clearly getting money from some other source.’

Rosie dramatically rolled her eyes. ‘I ask you! If his lordship only knew what his son-in-law squandered his money on while blackmailing his wife at the same time, he would go mad.’

Excited Sybil sprang to her feet. ‘Rosie,’ she exclaimed. ‘That’s it!’

Rosie looked blank. ‘That’s how we can get to Monty – we have to rub his lordship’s nose in it,’ Sybil said in a steely voice. ‘I wouldn’t have a problem telling him how much money Monty lavished on me when I was his mistress.’