‘I hear they need someone for general labour at Fellside, that farm on the way to Great Grindle,’ Philip went on. ‘They grow vegetables and have a little dairy herd. Even you can muck out cows and pick taters, Gina. They needn’t know you were sacked if you don’t tell them – I know you’re good at keeping secrets; you have a good teacher – and you could work full time and earn your keep for once in your life. It’s time you started paying your way, and playing with puppies won’t be doing that.’

Ellen frowned, wondering what exactly he was referring to about secrets, but she knew better than to say anything, so instead she went to look out her wellingtons from under the stairs, keen not to get drawn into this kind of low-level argument that seemed to run perpetually between her father and sister, and which would occasionally erupt into physical violence.

‘General labour! Muck out cows and pick taters!’ Gina was horrified. She thought of Mrs Stellion’s pretty morning room and how she had the run of almost the entire garden to play with the dog. No way was she going back to filthy farm work! She had hardly begun to get her plans under way yet, but she meant to forget she’d ever seen a farm, never mind worked on one.

‘Why don’t you just get off to work,’ said Dora to her husband, keen to damp down the full-scale argument brewing between him and Gina, ‘before you get the sack, too?’

‘Aye, I’m going, woman,’ he said, and left, grumbling to himself as he buttoned up his coat.

‘What was he on about?’ Gina asked.

‘About you getting a proper job instead of “popping over to the Hall to exercise Coco”, as you know very well,’ said Ellen. ‘Still, at least you seem to be doing that all right. Just keep that dog out of the vegetables, though, and anywhere I’m working.’

‘What, outside? On a day like this? And I meant what did he mean about me being good at keeping secrets?’

‘I’ve really no idea,’ said Dora dismissively. ‘Now, Gina, tidy the kitchen before you leave for the Hall, please, and if you see Ellen working you’re not to disturb her.’

Dora and Ellen gathered their mackintoshes, hats, umbrellas and wellingtons, and went out, exclaiming at the fierceness of the downpour.

For a moment Gina stood staring out at the driving rain. It was tempting not to leave the cottage at all, but what Philip had said about going to work at Fellside Farm had unnerved her. She needed to make sure of her role at the Hall and there was no time to lose.