There was a pause and Effie realized she was staring at him. Staring but not seeing. She couldn’t seem to rein in her mind; it wandered like an aimless child.

‘Are you quite all right, Miss Gillies?’ the butler asked her. ‘You’re very pale. Are you still troubled by last night’s news?’

She looked away quickly, terrified she could be read like an open book. ‘I’m fine, thank you. Just . . . shocked.’ Effie raised the spoon to her mouth and willed herself to take a bite. She had to be as normal as she could, until she worked out her next move. ‘. . . Mr Graves, when his lordship first approached me about coming to work here, he said he would arrange for his driver to collect my father from the station. His bones are bad and he can’t walk far. Do you think—?’

‘Of course. I’ll see to it that Fraser is notified. On which train is your father arriving?’

‘The four o’clock.’

‘Very well. Be at the garage half an hour before and he’ll take you to collect him. I know his lordship’s not got any plans to leave the estate today.’

‘Thank you.’ She took another bite of her breakfast. The sweet honey flooded her tastebuds and she closed her eyes reflexively, grateful that this at least broke past the dullness that had settled upon her in the bedroom, a scattered mind in a stunned body.

‘So,’ Billy said with a leading tone. ‘Last night.’

‘I can’t believe you ended up sleeping in one of the bedrooms!’ Jenny said, looking delighted they had finally got round to the topic of interest. ‘What was it like? The beds are so soft, it must be like sleeping in a cloud.’

‘It was . . . nice,’ Effie stammered. Every word was an effort. ‘And so kind, but I’d have been better in m’ own room.’ She should have been in her own room. If she had, then—

‘You were very pale,’ Mr Graves murmured, still watching her closely. ‘The countess wanted to call the doctor. It was Lord Sholto who convinced her you’d just had a shock but I must say you still don’t look quite right.’

‘I’m fine.’

He sighed, not pushing it. ‘Such a shame. You acquitted yourself well, all things considered,’ the butler said. ‘You were doing a fine job of engaging her ladyship. I thought she was rather taken with you.’

‘You did?’ Her voice was flat and toneless.

‘Unlike Her Royal Brightness,’ Henry put in with a dark smile. ‘She looked like she might throttle you.’

‘Henry!’ Mrs McKenzie scolded.

‘It’s true, Mrs McKenzie,’ he shrugged. ‘She was in a frenzy of jealousy because Lord Sholto couldn’t take his eyes off her.’

Fanny gave a gasp, her cheeks pinking with delight on Effie’s behalf.