‘Of course it’s not inconvenient, madame. Did you send in your name?’

‘Miss Hélène,’ Didier tried again. ‘Madame is not receiving guests this afternoon.’

‘I’m sure she will receive Madame Sauze,’ Hélène replied firmly. She reached out and took Agathe’s hand. ‘Stay where you are, madame, and I’ll tell Maman that it’s you.’

Ignoring the butler’s outraged look, Hélène went straight to the drawing room and, opening the door, said, ‘Maman, Madame Sauze is here. Shall I bring her in?’

Rosalie, having already placed her feet on a footstool, had been drifting into a doze, and when Hélène burst into the room she awoke with a start.

‘Hélène? What’s the matter? What did you say?’

‘I said Madame Sauze is here, Maman. She’s come to see you.’

‘Madame Sauze? Here?’

‘Yes, Maman, and she’s asking to speak to you. I said I was sure you’d like to see her. Shall I bring her in?’

Rosalie was not best pleased to be placed in this position by her younger daughter, but her good manners came to her aid and she said, ‘Of course. Do ask her to come in.’

‘Yes, Maman.’ Hélène hurried back to the hall where Madame Sauze stood waiting uncomfortably, under the eye of the butler. ‘Madame, Maman says please do come into the drawing room.’ And then turning to Didier, she added, ‘Thank you, Didier, that will be all.’ Didier looked less than pleased at this dismissal, but he simply said, ‘Yes, Miss Hélène,’ and retreated to his own domain.

‘Do come with me, madame,’ said Hélène, extending her hand again. ‘Maman’s in here.’

Madame Sauze followed her into the drawing room, and immediately Rosalie St Clair got up to greet her.

‘Madame Sauze,’ she said, ‘I didn’t realise it was you. What a pleasure to see you. Please do take a seat.’ She waved her guest to a chair and then sat down opposite her. ‘May I offer you some refreshment?’

‘No, madame, I thank you, but’ – she glanced across at Hélène, who had moved to take a seat beside her mother – ‘if I might have a word with you in private?’

‘Of course,’ replied Rosalie. ‘Please leave us, Hélène.’

‘But Maman,’ protested Hélène, ‘I wanted to talk to Madame Sauze. We haven’t seen her for ages.’

‘Maybe you can speak later, but not until we have finished our conversation. Now, please, go and leave us in peace.’

Reluctantly Hélène got to her feet and, with one disgruntled backward glance, left the room, closing the door behind her.

‘Now, madame,’ said Rosalie, ‘you have my ear.’

‘I am very sorry to have to come to you, madame,’ began Agathe, ‘but I don’t know where else to turn. It’s not for myself that I’ve come, but for the girl Annette. You may remember she was with Hélène in St Luke’s orphanage.’

Rosalie nodded. She did remember; Hélène used to refer to her as the bread thief, and it was Annette who had helped her slip away from the nuns. ‘I see; well, what about her? Did she not come to work at the Clergy House with you?’