On Saturday large wagons and vans pulled into the driveway laden with Mr Willerby’s possessions and Sunday peeped through the lace curtains to watch them pass. Cissie was there with her sharing a pot of tea and she peeped over her friend’s shoulder.

‘Looks like he’s got a lot o’ stuff,’ she commented.

‘I wonder if I should go along and offer to help?’ Sunday said but Cissie shook her head.

‘You’ll do no such thing. You might have been reduced to living here in the lodge but you ain’t a servant,’ she stated indignantly. ‘Anyway, be the looks of it he’s got more than enough helpers. Let ’em get on wi’ it, that’s what I say. Least till I turn in for me first shift there tomorrow anyway!’

Sunday smiled wryly. Cissie had been her rock throughout the difficult times yet again and she really didn’t know what she would have done without her. At that moment Mr Willerby appeared through the gates driving his motor car, a handsome young man sitting beside him.

‘That must be his grandson,’ Sunday murmured. ‘He’s a good-looking young chap, isn’t he?’

Livvy peeped over her shoulder then with a toss of her head she flounced from the room. She for one certainly wasn’t going to help anyone settle into what she felt was still her home!

Cissie went back to work at Treetops the next morning although now she would only be doing part-time hours. Mr Willerby had brought his own cook so Cissie had agreed to help the maid with the cleaning and she had to admit he had been more than generous with her rate of pay. It had also been agreed that George would continue to work in the stables with Mr Willerby’s grandson and the young groom that Mr Willerby had employed. After all, as he quite rightly pointed out, George knew the horses better than anyone. He had even agreed to Kathy and Livvy keeping their horses there free of charge, so all in all none of them could deny that he had been more than generous.

‘I must say he’s got some nice stuff,’ Cissie informed Sunday as they sat drinking coffee at the lodge following her first day in Mr Willerby’s employ. ‘Though in fairness he ain’t moved much of what you left out o’ the way. An’ Mrs Gay, the cook, is a lovely old soul an’ so is Edith, the maid. They’ve both been with him for years.’

‘And what about the grandson?’ Sunday questioned curiously.

‘Ah, I ain’t properly met him yet,’ Cissie admitted. ‘But he seemed friendly enough. He were just leavin’ to go into town an’ order food for the horses as I got there. He seems to know his stuff when it comes to horses, so I reckon he’ll do well takin’ over the stables.’