Gilbert Stannard rose to his feet, clearly intent on bringing this visit to an end. ‘As my wife has told you, we do not know the girl. It is a tragedy and I’m sorry we cannot be of assistance to you.’

‘If you ever do come across her, I’m offering a handsome reward of one hundred pounds.’ Mr Greaves looked proud about that.

‘Very generous.’ Louise smiled sweetly, then looked across at the butler, who was still standing by the door. ‘Show our visitors out, please.’

Matt bowed politely and watched them leave, bursting with fury.

‘I hope you’ve hidden yourself well, little Jenny,’ Luke muttered beside him.

There was silence in the room until they knew their visitors had left the house.

‘Well!’ Louise exclaimed. ‘What a disagreeable pair. But that settles the mystery about our under housemaid. Jenny Baker had indeed been Eugenie Winford. No wonder that poor girl ran away.’

‘I agree, my dear. However, I didn’t like lying to them.’

‘But we didn’t, Gilbert.’ She faced her husband. ‘We told them that the girl we had caught stealing was not the one they were looking for.’

‘We lied by omission, though,’ her husband corrected.

His wife had the grace to look uncomfortable. ‘Ah, I know, but what could we have told them? We don’t know where Jenny, or Eugenie, is, do we?’

‘That’s true.’ Matt joined in. ‘The fact that she attended the Templeton School explains why she rushed out of the dining room during our New Year dinner. Gloria Tremain would have recognized her. In view of what we have learnt, I think we should renew our efforts to find her.’

‘John,’ their mother said, ‘you are looking very thoughtful. What do you make of it?’

‘Matt’s right – we should try to track her down.’ John gazed into space, frowning.

Matt knew his eldest brother well and respected his intelligence. ‘What’s troubling you?’

‘We have been told that Miss Winford’s father lost everything in the Wall Street crash, so the family is obviously penniless.’ John frowned in concentration. ‘That dragon of a woman has given her sister a home. And from the sound of it she has taken over her affairs …’

‘And I would think she has no love for her niece,’ his father remarked, ‘but what is your point, John?’

‘As I listened to them, I had the distinct impression that they were quite desperate to find her.’

‘That’s because that objectionable man, Albert Greaves, wants a young wife.’ Louise pulled a face in disgust.

John gave a wry smile. ‘I expect you’re right. I have a very suspicious mind.’

‘Hmm.’ Their father pulled the bell rope. When the butler appeared, he ordered coffee for all of them. ‘Oh, and would you ask Edna to bring it up, please, and we’d like you and Mrs Douglas to come as well.’

Green bowed and left the room.