The door burst open before Daisy had a chance to reply and her aunt came to a sudden halt, with Hattie peering over her shoulder. ‘Good heavens! I’ve never seen anything like it.’ She glared at Linnet. ‘Who is this?’

‘Dr Neville sent her, Aunt Eleanora,’ Daisy said hastily. ‘He thought we might need some assistance in getting things straight.’

‘Who is she and how do we know she’s trustworthy?’

Linnet bobbed a curtsey. ‘I’m Linnet Fox, ma’am. My pa was gamekeeper at Creek Hall when the old doctor was alive, but he’s too poorly to work now, and my mum is sick with lung fever. I’m a hard worker and honest.’

‘I’ve got to have someone, ma’am,’ Hattie added, peering over Eleanora’s shoulder. ‘I can’t be expected to cope on me own.’

Eleanora glanced round the room. ‘You may have a trial period, at the usual rate, whatever that might be. My husband will sort that out, but consider yourself hired, and please get this disaster sorted out as quickly as possible. We’ve been travelling for hours and we need a hot meal.’

‘Don’t worry, Aunt,’ Daisy said firmly. ‘I’ll help Linnet. We’ll get the kitchen cleaned up in no time.’

Eleanora nodded and turned on her heel, bumping into Hattie, who was still grumbling. ‘I told her not to poke the broom up the chimney, ma’am. I told her not to do it, but she done it all the same.’

‘Yes, thank you, Hattie. I think I get the gist. You can unpack my things upstairs while they get to work, and let’s hope that Pickford’s manage to get our furniture here before dark, otherwise we’ll be sleeping on the floor.’ She shooed Hattie away and closed the door behind her.

‘You might like to wash your face and hands first, miss,’ Linnet suggested tactfully. ‘Soot burns something chronic if it gets in your eyes. I’ll make a start sweeping up.’

It took almost an hour to get the kitchen clean, and Linnet had proved herself invaluable as she set about the work methodically, managing to get the fire going so that it blazed up the chimney. She showed Daisy where the pump was situated in the back yard, and the privy, which was in a small wooden hut that had been built to straddle a narrow stream.

‘Does the night soil collector get this far out?’ Daisy asked.

Linnet’s laughter echoed off the outbuildings. ‘Lord, no, miss. Lean closer and you’ll hear the brook racing down to the creek. You sit on the seat and let nature do the rest. No need to dig latrines or such.’

Daisy felt a blush rise to her cheek. As a person raised in the city she knew she had a lot to learn. ‘Thank you, Linnet. An excellent idea, I’m sure.’

‘And don’t worry about the pump water,’ Linnet said, smiling. ‘You’re luckier than most of the people in the village: this one taps into a spring deep down. The water is crystal clear and safe to drink.’ She lifted the pump handle and began to work it vigorously. ‘But this will be my job. You’re a young lady and you don’t need to know this.’