‘I do like a little freedom sometimes. Now we really must go. If the carriage is not ready, we will walk.’ She got to her feet. ‘Come, Daisy.’

‘Just another moment or two,’ said Mrs Tremaine. ‘I am still mourning my poor daughter. Why, only the other day, I found a number of Dolly’s things in one of the attics. It turns out the poor girl kept a diary.’

Rose decided this was too good a chance to miss. ‘Perhaps I may see her diary?’

‘By all means. Follow me.’

‘You wait there, Daisy,’ said Rose.

‘I’m coming with you.’

Mrs Tremaine led the way to the top of the house. She opened a low door and stood inside. ‘Go ahead. You will find her things in here.’

Rose and Daisy walked into the room. As the door slammed behind them and the key turned in the lock, Rose realized they had been tricked.

They hammered on the door and screamed and shouted. Surely one of the servants would hear them. But they had not seen any servants. Mrs Tremaine had made and served tea herself.

‘Jeremy!’ said Rose. ‘He must have run out of the church and dismissed the servants for the day. Then he must have told his mother what he planned. I don’t think she was in church when we arrived. She must have turned up towards the end of the service.’

‘The window’s barred,’ said Daisy. ‘We’ve got to get out of here.’

They sat in silence and then Rose whispered, ‘Listen. I can hear voices. It’s coming from the fireplace.’

They both crouched down beside the tiny fireplace. They could hear the voices of the Tremaine family. Jeremy was saying, ‘We must make sure they came on their own. I am sure her family doesn’t know she is here.’

Then Mrs Tremaine: ‘I will take the pony and trap and go to the public phonebox in Moreton and phone the earl’s household. I will say I am still distressed over Dolly’s death and must speak to Lady Rose.’

‘You will just be told she is not at home.’ The rector’s voice.

‘I am a very good actress,’ said his wife. ‘Leave it to me.’

The voices faded.

Rose and Daisy looked at each other in alarm. ‘Please God, Brum just says I am not at home without elaborating. They daren’t do anything to us if they think anyone knows we are here.’

Daisy’s voice choked on a sob. ‘I was so nasty to Becket. If I ever see him again, I’ll give him a great big kiss.’

Mrs Tremaine asked the telephone operator to connect her to the earl’s residence. Brum answered. ‘May I speak to Lady Rose?’ asked Mrs Tremaine in a quavering voice.’

‘I am afraid Lady Rose is not at home.’

‘Oh dear,’ wailed Mrs Tremaine. ‘Lady Rose has been helping me get over my terrible grief I-I d-don’t know what to do.’

The inveterate gossip in Brum rose to the surface. He lowered his voice. ‘Between you and me, madam, Lady Rose sneaked out this morning and nobody knows where she is. Always wilful, she is.’