‘Are you both having a good time?’ she asked, and both heads nodded vigorously. ‘Good – well, you keep your eye on her for me, Ben, while I go and find my husband.’

She melted away into the guests and it was then that Kitty asked, ‘Shall we have a dance?’

Ben almost choked on his drink. ‘What – to this? It’s a waltz an’ I wouldn’t have a clue how to do it.’ He looked petrified at the very thought of it.

‘We only have to watch what everyone else is doing.’ Kitty was used to getting her own way and after putting her drink down on a small table she grabbed Ben’s hand and dragged him onto the dance floor.

In actual fact, he soon discovered that it wasn’t quite as difficult as it looked. He just had to sort of shuffle about and Kitty went with him. They made an amusing couple, he so tall and the child barely up to his shoulder, and people smiled as they glided past. Kitty’s hair was loose about her shoulders and it gleamed in the light. Her new dress set off her dark beauty to perfection.

The pair were breathless and giggling by the time the waltz finished and Kitty knew she would never forget this night for as long as she lived. It was her very first taste of a real grown-ups’ party but she prayed it would be the first of many. It was nice to see all the admiring glances she was attracting from men and women alike and it made her feel happy. Even so, by the time eleven o’clock approached she was drooping somewhat, and much to Ben’s amusement, she gave a very unladylike yawn.

‘Tired are yer, little ’un?’ he asked indulgently and Kitty blinked. He was talking to her as if she was a little girl again now.

‘Not at all,’ she retorted with a toss of her head. ‘That just sort of slipped out.’ She then flounced away to the kitchen to cool off a little. It had got very stuffy with so many bodies floating about.

Shortly before midnight everyone gathered in the hallway and listened quietly as the old grandfather clock chimed twelve times and welcomed in the New Year of 1909. Then suddenly everyone was kissing each other and Kitty found herself being grabbed by all and sundry. Her cheeks were quite wet by the time everyone had done and she was happy to slink off to bed unnoticed. She was so tired that she merely slung her lovely new dress across the bottom of the bed and slid between the cold cotton sheets in her petticoats. She didn’t even bother to brush her hair, she was far too tired – but, eeh … it had been a grand night. And she fell asleep with a broad smile on her face!

Chapter Nine

It took the staff of Treetops two whole days to put the house back to rights following the party, and on the third day everyone was tired. The snow had held off so far but it was bitterly cold, the wind was almost gale force, and each night a thick hoar frost coated the grass and the surrounding trees.