The spring and summer of 1900 passed in the blink of an eye, and before they knew it they were into winter and the first Christmas of this new millennium was fast approaching. Sunday was spending every spare minute she had shopping for Christmas presents for the children with her mother and planning special activities. Christmas was always a joyous occasion at the Home. Already Mrs Rose, the plump and motherly cook, had a number of Christmas puddings soaking in brandy and a row of rich fruit cakes had been made weeks ago and were ready to be iced. Like many of the staff, Tabitha Rose had worked there since Treetops had opened as a home for foundlings. She and her late husband, Fred, who had been a hard-working miner at the Haunchwood pit, had never been blessed with children of their own and so working at the Home had fulfilled a need in her and she spoiled the children shamelessly. Sunday regularly scolded her for slipping treats to them between meals although there was always a forgiving twinkle in her eye when she did so, well aware that her words went in one ear and out of the other. The way Mrs Rose saw it, Sunday was little more than a child herself, and so she spoiled her too.

The rest of the staff consisted of Mrs Brewer, the efficient housekeeper, who kept the house running in an orderly fashion, and Laura the laundry maid who somehow managed to plough her way through mountains of washing and ironing each week without complaint. Laura was in her late twenties and also lived in. Her parents had been only too glad to let her leave home and live at Treetops as Laura was, as her mother termed it, ‘a little slow’. For all that she was a pleasant-natured young woman and another great favourite with the children. Bessie, the general maid, was the one responsible for cleaning the house and lighting the fires each morning, and she shared a bedroom in the servants’ quarters with Laura, whom she had taken under her wing. Then there was Jessie, the kitchen maid who assisted Mrs Rose. Finally, the two girls Em’ly and Ruth served the meals and in between helped out with anything that needed doing as well as acting as the parlour maids. Both Em’ly and Jessie lived in the village and turned in for work each morning bright and early. Sunday, Lavinia, Cissie and Zillah cared for the children, while the men tackled the outside jobs, kept the gardens tidy and did any repairs that were required in the house, so all in all for most of the time the Home ran harmoniously and Sunday was content.

On the fourteenth of December, Kitty celebrated her fourth birthday. She rose that morning with her face aglow with excitement. As a special treat, Sunday had promised to take her into town and she was looking forward to it immensely.