‘Usually,’ Kerensa nodded, picking up Alice’s knitting to admire it and see how far the garment had progressed, ‘but not always. I fear that like most men Luke sees war as romantic or heroic, he enjoys being stretched out with strips of rag stained with berry juice and pretending to be dying in agony. Once, he even got Michael and Conan to carry him into my sitting room to, as Luke told them to say, “present the body to the grieving mother”. I was horrified! Oliver just laughed. I think he was even proud of the boy’s adventurous spirit.’

‘Makes you shudder just to think of it,’ Alice said thoughtfully. ‘My boys can be just as gruesome about their games and I’m afraid on the odd occasion they let Jessica play with them she’s just as wild. I’ve just had a thought,’ she added, putting her hand on Kerensa’s arm. ‘If old Beatrice was allowed to join in Luke’s games she would make a good neighbourhood witch!’

‘I ’eard that!’ came a rasping voice from a distance.

Alice burst out laughing. ‘Oh dear.’

Kerensa hid her smiles behind her hand as Olivia rushed off to help Beatrice shuffle and grunt her way into view.

‘Missus Mouth-it-all’s ’ere again, I see,’ she screeched. ‘Makin’ fun of an ole woman. I’ll tell ’ee one thing, Alice Trenchard, if I wus a real witch I’d turn you into a big fat toad!’

‘Alice didn’t mean any harm, Beatrice,’ Kerensa said quickly, although she knew that Alice and Beatrice, the manor’s oldest servant, enjoyed this bickering at each other.

Olivia enjoyed their interchanges too and she tugged at Beatrice’s dirty apron while encouraging the old woman to go on. ‘Turn Alice into a kitten, Bea, go on, go on, I’ve always wanted a kitten but Father won’t let me. Make one the same colour as Alice’s curls, go on, go on.’

Beatrice, who never paid much attention to personal hygiene and whose presence was usually accompanied by more than one dreadful smell, screwed up her ugly face and winked at Olivia. ‘I’d reckon she would better make a brown cow all fattened up ready fer the market, my ’an’some.’

‘I think we’ve had enough of this conversation,’ Kerensa said in a tone that defied argument. She knew her daughter could be just as outspoken as her friend and Olivia looked as though she was bursting to say something more. Instead she made a disappointed face at her mother and looked cheekily at Alice, obviously picturing in her mind the creature she had next wanted to have her turned into.

Beatrice studied Alice from short-sighted eyes. ‘I’ve left a basket in the kitchen fer yer little sister-in-law, if ye’ll git up off yer lazy backside drekkly an’ take it ’ome to ’er,’ she said haughtily. ‘Rosie’ll know what t’do with it.’