She continued to walk at a leisurely pace. The gardens, although neglected, had obviously been spectacular at one time. She discovered a walled vegetable garden, which was completely overgrown with weeds and brambles. A greenhouse had been constructed along one side, but that too was sadly neglected. Most of the glass panes were broken, and those that remained were covered in grime, but Kate could imagine it as it must have been years ago, filled with trays of seedlings and ripening tomatoes, cucumbers and even melons. As she let herself out of the walled garden she almost bumped into an old man, who was hefting a wheelbarrow towards a huge compost heap.

‘Good afternoon,’ Kate said politely. ‘You must be Mr Morrison.’

He squinted at her through the thick lenses of steel-rimmed spectacles. ‘I don’t know you, miss.’

‘I’m Kate Martin and I’m Lady Lyndon’s guest. I’ve been admiring the gardens.’

He pushed his cloth cap to the back of his head. ‘They was splendid once, miss. But in them days we had at least six men working day in and day out. We produced all the fruit and vegetables for the family, as well as flowers for the house and herbs for the kitchen.’

‘That must have been wonderful.’

‘Aye, it were, miss. I started here as a lad of eight, working for me dad who was head gardener. Now it’s just me to try and keep the weeds at bay, but it’s a losing battle.’

‘What would you say if I offered to hire some help for you?’

Morrison blinked several times as if struggling to understand. ‘Why would you do that, miss? I mean, you’re a lady and you’re a guest.’

‘I am just a visitor, but I can see how much you love this place, and I can feel it all around me. People have enjoyed this garden for a very long time, and it’s a shame to let it go back to the wild.’

‘A strong boy would be a boon, miss. Maybe a few men at the start to scythe the grass and cut down the brambles.’

‘If you can find the people you think would do the job well, I’ll be happy to pay them the going rate.’

Morrison seized her hand in his. ‘Thank you, miss. There’s always men looking for work and I’ve known them all since they was nippers.’

‘That’s excellent. I leave the choice to you, Morrison.’ Kate squeezed his gnarled fingers and walked on. In her mind’s eye she could see the gardens as they must have been years ago, and she sighed happily. At least there was something she could do to repay Lady Lyndon’s hospitality. If she could just help her mother to join in with everyone else, life would be so much easier. Kate sighed; she knew she had an uphill task ahead of her.