‘Thank you all for your help.’ Gilbert dismissed the staff. ‘I know we can rely on your discretion.’

Once they left, the family settled down to coffee.

‘What are we going to do now?’ Luke wanted to know.

‘Keep searching for the poor girl.’ Louise gave a helpless shrug. ‘Though if the determined Mrs Osborne can’t find her, we shall have little chance, I think.’

They all agreed that the chances of finding her were slim.

12

‘Come and sit down.’

Jenny stopped clearing the table. ‘I’ll just wash the tea things first, Ma.’

‘Leave them, they won’t run away.’ Ma pointed to the chair opposite her. ‘Sit there. I want to talk to you.’

As Jenny sat down, it was hard to stifle a groan of relief. She ached in every limb.

‘You look fair worn out, Jen, and you’re getting skinny.’ Ma studied her with a ferocious glint in her eyes. ‘You ain’t been born for such hard graft.’

‘I’m fine –’

Ma gave a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘No, you ain’t. You’re up at the crack of dawn scrubbing and polishing, and then you comes back here to look after a cantankerous old woman like me. It’s slavery, my girl, and don’t try to deny it! And I’ve got a nasty suspicion that you’re spending your hard-earned cash on seeing I get some good food. I ain’t never ate so good, and I dare you to say that isn’t so.’

Jenny couldn’t. This was much harder than working as an under housemaid. At least there she had time off and wonderful food. Now it was go from morning to night, with meals of whatever they could afford. She dipped her head, unable to meet the old woman’s shrewd gaze. ‘You got to have proper food; I know you’re not well. And as for the hard work, I’ll get used to that.’

‘That’s as may be. You worry about me too much; I’m as fit as any woman of my age deserves to be.’

‘I like you, Ma, and you’ve been so kind to give me a room with you –’

‘Poof!’ Ma snorted. ‘Kindness ain’t got nothing to do with it. You needed a roof over your head and I needed some help. I thought it would be a fair exchange, but I’ve got the better bargain. Are you sure this is right for you? Couldn’t you go home?’ she asked gently.

‘No, Ma.’ Jenny lifted her head. ‘No, I would only be replacing one kind of slavery with another. Oh, I know it would be one of silks and satins, but I’d rather scrub floors! Honestly.’

‘Want to talk about it? I knows how to keep my mouth shut.’