Kitty felt decidedly cheated. It should have been their first evening together but instead she would have to spend it with her mother’s companion because Ruby had chosen to make other plans. Homesickness swept through her and she had to stifle the urge to cry. All in all, her mother’s welcome had been nothing like she had hoped and dreamed it would be … but then Kitty told herself that it must be just as strange for her mother as it was for her, so things would surely improve as they became better acquainted? Even so, it was hard to swallow her disappointment.

Chapter Fifteen

The sound of traffic on the street outside her bedroom window the next morning woke Kitty and for a second she lay there feeling disorientated. And then as the events of the day before came back to her and she realised where she was, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and hurried across to the window. Drawing aside the curtains, she stared out at a sea of rooftops. London was nowhere near as glamorous by day as it was by night, and compared to the vast open spaces she was used to she felt quite hemmed in. Below, a stream of vehicles moved to and fro, and she watched as one of the cab horses deposited a pile of dung on the road. A scruffy little urchin boy carrying a bucket and shovel hastily scooped it up and set off along the road like a greyhound as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. Whatever could he want that for? She would ask Miss Fox over breakfast, although it wasn’t really a topic to discuss at a mealtime. She was still standing there when there was a tap on the door. Mabel appeared and smiled at her brightly.

‘I’ve brought you a jug of hot water, miss,’ she said chirpily. ‘And your aunt said to ask you if you needed any help with dressing or with your hair?’

Kitty giggled. ‘Thank you, Mabel, but no, I shan’t need any help. I’m very capable of dressing myself.’

‘Right you are, miss. Miss Fox said to tell you that breakfast will be in half an hour in the dining room. It’ll be just you and her. Your aunt is having her breakfast in bed on a tray.’

Once again, Kitty felt slightly downcast. Surely her mother could have made an effort just this once? It was to have been the first breakfast they had ever shared together, after all! Even so she smiled politely and Mabel hurried away after asking, ‘Will you find your own way down, miss?’

‘Yes, I’m sure I can remember the way,’ Kitty told her. The evening before, Miss Fox had taken her on a tour of the whole house, and Kitty had been amazed to discover how large it was. There was a huge garden at the back of it too, but it had been too dark to see much of it by the time they got around to that, so Kitty determined that after breakfast she would go outside and explore. As she washed and dressed, her spirits lifted again and she found herself singing. She was feeling a little like a fish out of water at present but her mother had promised that they would go on a shopping trip today so things were bound to improve.