‘And very wealthy,’ Lady Lyndon added, chuckling. ‘Not, of course, that it had anything to do with your decision, Arabella. Giles is a very presentable man, and quite charming. If I were a few years younger I might have been a serious rival.’

Arabella opened her mouth to comment but a knock on the door and a rattle of teacups announced Tilly’s arrival with a laden tray. Kate jumped to her feet to help her.

‘I’m longing to see the children, Tilly,’ Annie said wistfully. ‘Are they all well? They must have grown a lot since we went away.’

‘They’re shooting up, miss.’ Tilly smiled proudly. ‘Shall I send them to you when they’ve finished their meal?’

Annie bit her lip. ‘Do you mind, Aunt Margaret? I can always go to the kitchen if you’d rather they didn’t come to the drawing room.’

‘Nonsense,’ Lady Lyndon said cheerfully. ‘They’re always welcome, aren’t they, Arabella?’

Kate shot a sideways glance at her mother, knowing very well her dislike of children in general, but Arabella was smiling, even if it was a little forced.

‘Of course they are. Anyway, I have to go to my room to change for dinner. We’re expecting Perry to come down from London, providing the roads are still passable, and Giles is coming, too. Tilly, I’ll need your help since I allowed Mrs Goodfellow to spend the evening with her husband.’

‘Mrs Goodfellow is your maid, Mama?’ Kate stared at her mother in surprise. Bold, brassy and not afraid to speak her mind, Marie Goodfellow was hardly the sort of person her mother would have chosen in the old days.

‘Needs must, Kate. Needs must.’ Arabella rose to her feet and whisked Tilly out of the room before she had a chance to speak.

Lady Lyndon smiled benignly. ‘It’s so good to have you all home safe and sound, but I won’t rest until Harry returns. I have a feeling there’s something you are not telling me, Kate.’

‘Harry will explain everything when he joins us,’ Kate said diplomatically. She turned her attention to the tea tray. ‘Look, Joe. Hot buttered muffins, just what you wanted.’

‘If you can’t explain Harry’s absence, you can at least tell me about your experiences on the journey.’ Lady Lyndon shook her head when Kate offered her a cup of tea. ‘No, thank you, my dear. I’ll wait and have a glass of sherry wine when Perry arrives. He’s always so amusing and he’s missed you very much, Annie.’

Annie almost choked on her tea. ‘Did he say so, Aunt?’

‘Not in so many words, but he was always asking if I’d received word from you or Kate. You could do a lot worse, my dear. He’s not a rich man but he has a steady income, and it’s obvious that he’s devoted to you.’