Stow turned his brooding sad eyes on Rosie. ‘You say the Brigadier uses Marigold to blackmail my daughter?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘What do you know of Marigold’s parentage?’

Rosie hardly dared to breathe as she answered. ‘I know the truth, but I have told no one apart from Sybil here.’

‘Would you swear on the Bible that all you have revealed to me is God’s honest truth?’

‘Yes, sir, I would swear on my children’s lives that I am speaking the truth.’

‘And you, young lady,’ he continued as he turned to Sybil, ‘you who did my daughter a great disservice, would you swear in a court of law that what you’ve told me is the truth?’

‘Certainly, sir.’

‘I shall have to speak with Lady Veronica,’ Lord Stow said, as he rose and stood to attention. ‘I would prefer it if neither of you visited the house again unless otherwise invited.’

Before they left the room, Sybil turned to Lord Stow. ‘Sir, may I suggest that you urge the Brigadier, as an act of goodwill to the Mary Vale community where Rosie and I lived, to continue to do all he can to keep the Army from requisitioning the Home which he himself said was “vital” to the women who seek succour there?’

Stunned by Sybil’s off-script comments, Rosie studiously avoided eye contact with her bold friend, who confidently cruised on. ‘It would be a great loss to close down an institution the Brigadier has fought so valiantly to keep open,’ she added with a cynical raise of an eyebrow.

Once outside and at a safe distance from Dowry House, both women felt weak at the knees.

‘I couldn’t believe my ears at what you just said,’ Rosie squeaked.

‘Shhh! There’s a park just opposite,’ Sybil gasped. ‘Let’s go and sit down before I collapse.’

Finding a café in the park, they both immediately ordered tea. ‘I could do with a brandy and soda right now,’ Sybil admitted.

Pouring out the hot strong tea, Rosie spluttered, ‘Oh, my God, there was one point in there when I thought I’d faint clean away. You talking to his lordship like that, telling him all the mucky truth,’ she exclaimed.

‘It wouldn’t have worked otherwise: he needed to know the hard facts, even if I did come across as a whore.’

‘You were so brave, Sybs,’ Rosie cried. ‘I was so proud to be sitting there as your friend, and when you told his lordship that I was there only because of how fond I am of Lady Veronica, I all but burst into tears!’

‘I wanted to stress that you weren’t there for anything other than your loyalty and concern. Stow’s kind of people always think ex-servants are out to make a quick buck.’

Rosie nearly choked on her tea. ‘I would NEVER do that!’

‘I know that, darling, but he needed to be told,’ Sybil answered firmly.