‘Jenny Baker, sir. I must get on with my work.’

He laughed. ‘I’m sure you can spare ten minutes to talk to me.’

Trying to remain calm, she edged past him, but he moved in front of her again.

‘Please, sir, I’ll lose my job if I don’t go back downstairs at once.’

‘Luke! Let her go.’

He stepped aside, hands in the air and a wide grin on his face. ‘Ah, the voice of reason. I’m only talking to her, Matt.’

‘Don’t you realize that with over twenty guests arriving tonight, the staff are rushed trying to get everything ready in time?’

Still smiling and in obvious good humour, Luke said to her, ‘Sorry, it was thoughtless of me.’

She grabbed the tray and fled, giving the other brother a grateful glance as she rushed past him.

‘What took you so long?’ the housekeeper scolded.

‘Sorry, Mrs Douglas, I was detained.’

‘By whom?’

‘Mr Luke.’

‘You want to watch that boy,’ Mr Green, the butler, said. ‘Full of devilment and too fond of the young ladies.’

‘Did he take liberties?’ Mrs Douglas didn’t look at all pleased.

Jenny shook her head. ‘He said he only wanted to talk …’

The cook snorted in disbelief.

‘His brother came in and made him let me leave. The tallest one of the three.’

‘That was Matthew.’ Edna breezed in. ‘I’ve just passed the library and he’s really having a go at his brother now.’

‘Don’t be so familiar,’ the housekeeper scolded. ‘It’s Mr Matthew to you.’

‘Sorry, Mrs Douglas, I meant Mr Matthew. Just a slip of the tongue.’ Edna gave Jenny a sly wink.

The housekeeper accepted the apology, but didn’t look as if she believed it was sincere. She glanced at the watch pinned to her dress. ‘Jenny, you are to come to me at once if you have any trouble with the young gentlemen. Now everyone back to work. All must be perfect for this evening.’

The dinner party was under way and it was bedlam in the kitchen. Jenny was amazed that they didn’t keep colliding with one another, but each person seemed to know what they were doing – except her. This was her first experience of a large house party from below stairs. She had never realized just how hard the staff had to work to make the serving of food and drink go without a hitch.

‘Jenny.’ Even the housekeeper appeared flustered as she sailed into the kitchen. ‘You’ll have to take this dish of vegetables up. Hurry now.’