Maggie had heard her scolding Ruby one night and Maggie respected her for that. In fact, she and Foxy, as the woman had now instructed both girls to call her, had struck up an unlikely friendship. Maggie guessed it was because they both had Kitty’s best interests at heart, which was just as well considering Ruby didn’t seem to care what her daughter did, one way or another.

It was early one morning as Maggie was carrying the clothes Kitty had worn for her performance the evening before down to the laundry that Miss Fox stopped her on the stairs to ask, ‘Is Kitty still in bed?’

Maggie nodded. ‘Yes. I came home as soon as I’d helped her to get changed after her performance, but she went on to have supper with Mr Fitzherbert somewhere and I don’t think she got in until the early hours so she’s having a lie-in.’

‘Is she indeed.’ Miss Fox tutted. ‘This really isn’t good enough. I think it’s time I had a word with Ruby. The girl isn’t old enough to be staying out until all hours, as far as I’m concerned.’

Secretly, Maggie agreed with her although she didn’t think it was her place to say it. Kitty was stirring when Maggie returned to her room with a tray of tea and she yawned as Maggie went over and drew the curtains, allowing the sunlight to stream into the room.

‘Mm, isn’t it a lovely day?’ She stretched luxuriously and grinned as Maggie glared. The girl had lain awake until two in the morning waiting for Kitty to come home and felt as if she hadn’t been to bed, whereas Kitty still managed to look beautiful despite the hours she kept.

‘You were very late in this morning,’ Maggie replied primly.

‘Oh, Maggie dear, don’t start. You sound like my mother!’

‘Well, someone has to keep an eye out for you,’ Maggie retorted as she poured the tea. ‘Lord knows what Sunday and Tom would have said if you rolled in at all hours.’

She instantly felt guilty as she saw Kitty’s face fall. Kitty tried to make believe that their lack of correspondence didn’t bother her, but Maggie knew that it did. The couple had raised the girl as their own and had been far better parents to her than Ruby was, from what she could see of it. Already, Maggie was suspecting Ruby’s motives for bringing Kitty to live with her. Kitty was now earning a very respectable sum from all her stage performances, but all she got after each one was a very measly payout from her mother. Maggie had tentatively raised this with Kitty once but the girl had defended the woman, saying, ‘But you have to realise that a lot of the money I earn is going on building my wardrobe for now and paying back my mother for her expenses. Also, Max is my agent, and he needs to receive his cut of my fees.’