She grinned. ‘. . . Here, puss-puss,’ she coaxed, reaching towards it with her free arm. It meant she wasn’t holding onto the rope with both hands and she heard Fanny’s latest audible gasp as in the next instant, Effie gave a single balletic lunge, hopping sideways on the rope and grabbing the cat in a fluid movement. She scooped her into her body before the cat could even panic and tucked her into the front of her woollen vest. ‘There,’ she said soothingly as the cat’s claws sharpened against her shirt, looking for purchase.

She looked back at the hallboy and winked at him. ‘Wait for my call. I’ll give two sharp tugs when I’m free and you can pull the rope back up.’

‘Aye aye, cap’n,’ he said, saluting her.

Effie got both hands back to the rope again and with a simple push off the window frame, began to descend. The figure she had glimpsed inside the bedroom had opened the window while she’d been retrieving the cat and there was a moment of surprise for both parties as Effie suddenly, fleetingly, found herself face to face with Sibyl.

‘Oh, hallo, my lady,’ she smiled as she casually passed on her way down, the other woman open-mouthed and mute, for once, with shock.

As Effie’s feet touched the pediment of the front door, she glanced down to gauge the remaining distance – only to find a small crowd had gathered. The rescue had taken less than five minutes, but in that time Fanny appeared to have been joined on the terrace by half the servants – Jenny, Mrs McKenzie, Mrs McLennan, William and Henry were all there, but it wasn’t their scrutiny that suddenly put the nervous fizz in her stomach that hadn’t been there at the top of the rope. She was being watched by the countess and her son, who were walking in the rose garden.

Moments later, Effie’s bare feet made contact with the terrace again and she untied herself from the rope, thinking fast. Would Fanny be in trouble for letting her do this? It had been Effie’s idea after all but she knew her ladyship could hardly be pleased to find ropes dangling down her house and a feral girl playing upon them. There was scarcely a moment to think however; the countess and Sholto were already climbing the steps up to the terrace as Effie reached into her vest and brought out the cat. ‘Miss Petunia was stuck, Your Ladyship,’ she said quickly.

But she hadn’t finished speaking before people began clapping. Jenny and Fanny were jumping with excitement, the footmen looking bemused yet impressed. A yell came from up top, too – Billy, out of sight but not out of earshot as he heard their celebrations and realized she was safely down.