There must be something I can do, I thought as I tiptoed downstairs and filled the kettle for tea. The trouble was that I wasn’t trained for anything except how to behave in the correct social circles. And in these days of depression there were people with real qualifications who were lining up for jobs. I sighed as I made the tea. If only I’d inherited my mother’s stunning looks, I could have followed her onto the stage. But alas I took after my father—tall, lanky, healthy Scottish outdoor looks.

I cheered myself with the thought of going to see Granddad and made boiled eggs and toast before I went to wake Belinda. She looked rather the worse for wear as she sat at the dining table, sipping her tea and nibbling on a piece of toast.

“I feel terrible turning you out now, darling,” she said. “If only I had a spare room . . .”

“I know. It’s quite all right,” I said. “Don’t worry, something will turn up. I’ll go and retrieve Queenie and she can pack up my things and if worse comes to worst I can stay with my grandfather for a few days.”

“I thought that was frowned upon by the family,” Belinda said.

“It is, but they aren’t exactly offering me an alternative, are they? I’ll pick up a copy of The Lady when I go out. There must be some job I could do.”

“Georgie, don’t be silly. The Lady has advertisements for governesses and ladies’ maids.”

“And things like companions and social secretaries. Anything’s better than Castle Rannoch.”

“I agree with that. But feel free to sleep on my sofa until you find something. I don’t want to turn you out into the storm.”

I smiled. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s a lovely sunny morning.”

She glared blearily at the window. “Is it? I hadn’t noticed.” Then she turned back to me and smiled. “Sorry. You should know by now that I’m not at my best in the morning. I’ll cheer up as the day goes on. And I’ll be in top form by the time I go to Crockford’s.”

I thought about Belinda as I went upstairs to wash and dress. I had always envied her her confident worldliness, her savoir faire, her elegance and style. I had always thought if anyone knew how to survive, it was she. I put on my cashmere jumper—one of my mother’s castoffs—and tartan skirt, topped it with my old Harris tweed overcoat, and out I went into the cold, crisp morning. I loved walking on days like this. At home in Scotland it would have been a perfect day for a ride through the heather, with my horse’s breath coming like dragon’s fire and the sound of his hooves echoing from the crags.