Steph raised her eyebrows. ‘You did? Oh, I didn’t realise you had to do that sort of work.’

‘Yeah. My dad said it was character-building and that we all had to start at the bottom and do the worst jobs possible. He said it was the only way to earn the respect of the staff.’

‘He probably had a point.’

‘Yeah, he did. Put it this way, he didn’t believe in anyone being born with a silver spoon in their mouth. His work ethic was probably the only thing I inherited.’

An imperceptible look swept across Harry’s face but disappeared as fast as it had arrived. ‘And nothing else? Is that all you inherited?’

‘All I wanted to,’ said Harry, almost to himself.

Steph was both relieved and confused that Harry was speaking to her as if nothing had happened. She went to speak, but Harry beat her to it.

‘Look, Steph, I’m glad I’ve seen you. I was hoping to speak to you later, when you’d finished work, but seeing as we’re here now … I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you Sunday evening. I know it’s no excuse, but I’m finding it hard adjusting to being back here at Conmere, for lots of reasons.’

‘I can imagine.’ She gave a sympathetic smile.

He looked around the hall and then in a low voice said, ‘I really like you, Steph. I don’t want what happened here to affect anything between us. If it helps, I’m prepared to answer your questions about Elizabeth, but on one condition.’

Steph’s heart threw in an extra beat. ‘The condition?’

‘It’s just between me and you. It’s personal and private, so we can maybe take things further but with no taboo subjects. I’m not going to ask you about Sonia or your mum; I’m going to prove I trust you.’ He looked intently at her. ‘One of us has to give first and I’m willing to do that. I want you to know I trust you … then, maybe, you’ll trust me.’

Steph nodded. ‘I’d like that.’ And she would, despite acknowledging that, while this might mean she couldn’t publish Elizabeth’s story completely, there was the chance that some of it could be used, or at least used to find the truth without betraying Harry’s confidence.

He smiled again and her stomach gave a tumble. ‘I’ll speak to you later – maybe we can go for a drink? Away from here.’