Hearing the note of admonition in her mother’s voice, Kitty was quick to reassure her. ‘Oh no, of course I’m not. Forget I ever said anything. I shall just go and rest now so that I’m at my best. Maggie can prepare one of my gowns.’ It was the first time Ruby had ever been openly hostile to her and Kitty felt chastened as she fled from the room.

When she burst into her bedroom she found Maggie placing fresh towels in her bathroom.

‘My mother just informed me that I have another booking this evening,’ Kitty told her as she threw herself onto the bed.

‘What!’ Maggie looked aghast. ‘But you performed last night after modelling for Mr Fitzherbert for most of the day. You’ll make yourself ill at this rate.’

Kitty forced a smile. ‘I don’t mind,’ she told her. ‘I’ve got plenty of time to put my feet up this afternoon and I didn’t have any plans for this evening anyway. It appears that I’m more popular than I thought.’

‘That’s all very well, but you can have too much of a good thing,’ Maggie grumbled. Then a thought occurred to her and she asked, ‘Why don’t you tell Ruby that you want to take a little holiday. You could go and visit Sunday and Tom for a few days.’ Although Kitty never admitted it, Maggie sensed that she missed them dreadfully. But she hadn’t taken Kitty’s pride into account.

‘Why should I go and see them?’ The girl reared up immediately. ‘Ruby said she’d let them have my address and I’ve written to them on numerous occasions but they haven’t even bothered to reply. I think that rather tells me something, don’t you? They clearly feel that they’ve done their duty by me and that’s an end to it – and that’s fine by me!’

Maggie chewed on her lip. Despite her brave words, Kitty’s lovely eyes were brimming with tears but Maggie felt powerless to help her if she wouldn’t listen to advice. Kitty could be very stubborn when she had a mind to be.

‘Well, it’s your decision,’ Maggie answered. ‘And if you’re performing again this evening I’d better set to and get you a gown pressed. What about the lilac silk and Chantilly lace one? You haven’t worn that this week.’

‘Very well.’ Kitty watched Maggie bustle over to the armoire to get the gown and once she had left the room with it over her arm Kitty turned her head into the pillow and wept, although she couldn’t have said why. She had craved success and she wallowed in the admiration that was being bestowed on her. Why, only the evening before when leaving the stage and returning to her dressing room, she had found a magnificent ruby and diamond bracelet tucked in a black velvet box amongst the blooms of one of the numerous bouquets that were waiting for her from her many admirers. She had been tickled pink – even more so when Ruby had turned quite green with envy. So why then, she wondered, did she still feel so unhappy?