Rosie laughed at Dora’s choice of words. ‘She said she trusted me to sort it out.’

‘There you are, then,’ Dora replied. ‘Follow your instincts!’

With Dora’s guidance and her own common sense, Rosie gave the cook’s job to a local middle-aged woman who lived in Bowness and had cooked in some of the grander houses in the area. She came with good references, a warm smile and had excellent contacts with the local farmers and suppliers. The scullery maid Rosie chose actually reminded Rosie of herself as a teenager, eager, shy, young and gawky, except that this girl had a thick Cumbrian accent and cycled from her family’s sheep farm to start work at seven o’clock every morning.

The very best and most unexpected thing to happen, and one which Rosie had never even thought possible so soon after saying goodbye to Sybil, was her friend phoning up announcing she was going to pay her a visit.

‘We recruits are being sent to Manchester on a short training course,’ Sybil told Rosie. ‘I thought if I came ahead of the others, I could get the train to Windermere and spend a few days with you.’

‘Oh, yes, yes!’ Rosie exclaimed.

‘I know it seems like I’ve only just left, but I’ve so much to tell you and also,’ she blurted out emotionally, ‘I miss you so much.’

Tears sprang to Rosie’s eyes. ‘I miss you too,’ she sighed. ‘Let me know what time your train gets in and I’ll come and meet you at the station.’

‘See you soon,’ Sybil cried excitedly, as she put down the phone.

Rosie was as excited as a child at the prospect of Sybil’s visit. She wanted to share her lovely new home with her and show her all the wonderful places she had discovered. But something happened the day before Sybil’s arrival which took the wind out of Rosie’s sails. As she was arranging vases of the last of the summer blooms in the hallway and morning room, the housekeeper’s phone rang out.

‘Windermere 836.’

‘It’s Dora, Rosie. Listen, lovie, I’m so sorry but I’m afraid I have some bad news.’

Rosie’s heart dropped like a stone. ‘Ronnie and Sally?’ she gasped.

‘No, sorry, they’re fine,’ Dora quickly apologized. ‘It’s Sister Mann, Edith, remember her?’

‘The nurse that ran away,’ Rosie recalled.

‘That’s right, her, well, the truth is the police think she’s taken her own life,’ Dora answered in a low whisper.

‘WHAT?’ Rosie exclaimed.

‘You probably didn’t get a chance to read about it in the papers,’ Dora suggested. ‘Apparently the police have found Edith’s car on an isolated track just off the Manchester Ship Canal; it’s been left there abandoned for some time, it would seem.’

Flabbergasted, Rosie couldn’t believe that she was hearing correctly.