By nine Marion was dressed and waiting in her room. She had practised a curtsey, several times, and now the wait for the Princesses’ arrival was making her nervous.

Finally there was a knock at the door.

‘Come in.’

Alah led the Princesses in.

Marion gave her most reassuring smile and, forgetting to curtsey, said, ‘Good morning.’

‘Hello,’ Princess Elizabeth said shyly. ‘Are you ready for us?’

‘I certainly am.’

Alah nudged a reluctant Margaret towards Marion, and checked the nurse’s fob watch on her bodice. ‘This is a new routine for us all. We have always had sole charge up until now.’

‘We?’ asked Marion.

‘The nurserymaid, Bobo, and I.’

‘Oh, I see.’ Marion smiled nervously. ‘Nine o’clock it shall be from now on then.’ She tried to sound reassuring.

‘You are our first governess. I would be grateful to know your schedule, so that we can fit your activities with the Princesses, round their normal daily routine.’ Alah’s shoulders went back, her hands tightly folded over her skirts. The tiny gesture reminded Marion of her mother. Last night Alah had been much more approachable, but last night she hadn’t been handing over her little Princesses to another woman.

Marion acknowledged the metaphorical gauntlet thrown before her. She had been expecting it. She knew she’d be thought of as too young and too inexperienced to have such a position. There would be raised eyebrows and whispered conversations about her.

She was more than ready for it.

‘As today is our first day,’ she said, wanting to sound confident, ‘I thought the Princesses might show me around the garden and they can tell me about the games they like to play.’

Alah built her first defence. ‘The Duchess likes them to have refreshment with her at eleven o’clock.’

Marion smiled again. ‘Perfect.’

Another parry. ‘And at midday the girls take their rest.’

‘Very sensible.’ Marion was beginning to wonder how the children would have any time for lessons.

‘Luncheon is at one fifteen, with the Duke and Duchess.’

‘How lovely. And what happens after lunch?’

‘If the Duke and Duchess are at home, they like to play outside, as a family. The Duke is very good at hopscotch.’

Little Lilibet, who was bored and getting fidgety, looked up at this. ‘Papa is better than any of us at hopscotch. He is a very fast runner too.’

Marion looked at the three expectant faces, waiting for her to say something. ‘I am a very good runner myself and when I was at school, I was on the hopscotch team.’

‘Were you?’ Lilibet took her hand. ‘I will tell Papa and you can have a competition.’

‘All right. Why don’t you show me the best bit of your garden to practise in?’

‘They will need to put something warm on first,’ Alah interrupted. Turning back to the door, she called, ‘Bobo?’

A voice from the small kitchen called back, ‘Yes?’

‘Bring warm cardigans for the girls, please.’

A fresh-faced woman of twenty-eight, wearing the uniform of a nurserymaid, came in with two matching scarlet cardigans. ‘Here we are.’