Milly nodded. ‘You’ll be company for each other.’

‘I’ve looked for a job,’ Lena continued, ‘but I don’t think I’m cut out to be a shop assistant or a live-in help. Being shut up in one place all day would drive me mad. It’s my Romany blood, I suppose. I may end up going back to Rainbow George.’

Milly chuckled. ‘And he’ll have you married off in a trice.’

Lena’s expression clouded. ‘No way!’

‘I’ve still got a few things at Muntham Court,’ said Milly, changing the subject. ‘What am I going to do about them?’

‘Come back on Sunday,’ Lena suggested. ‘I’ll get in touch with Seebold. I’m sure he’d be happy to drive you to the house to collect your things.’

Milly looked a little uncomfortable. ‘What if my mother is there and makes a scene?’

Lena laughed. ‘I can’t see her wanting an altercation with Seebold hanging around, can you?’

Chapter 19

Milly was strangely nervous about returning to the house, and the driveway to Muntham Court had never seemed so long and forbidding. Seebold parked around the back of the house near the kitchen, and Milly knocked on the kitchen door. Mrs Cunningham was surprised to see her.

‘Oh miss!’ she cried. ‘Why are you coming in this way?’

‘I don’t think my mother would be too happy to see me here,’ said Milly, ‘but I’ve come to collect a few of my things.’

Mrs Cunningham stepped aside and let her in. ‘Does your friend want to wait in here?’ she asked. ‘I’ve just put the kettle on.’

Milly relaxed and smiled then waved Seebold in. ‘Is my mother here?’

‘She and Miss Pearl and Miss Pearl’s future intended have gone to church,’ said Mrs Cunningham. ‘They came back from London last night to hear the banns being read.’

Milly frowned. ‘The banns?’

Mrs Cunningham’s cheeks coloured as she put her fingers to her lips. ‘Surely you know that your sister is getting married next month?’

‘Oh, yes of course,’ Milly said brightly. ‘How silly of me.’ She paused. ‘Well, I’ll just nip upstairs then.’

Milly had planned to go up the back stairs, but if her mother wasn’t at home, she might as well use the main staircase. She was still reeling from Mrs Cunningham’s announcement. It had stung. Though aware of Pearl’s engagement, Milly had no idea that her sister was getting married next month. Her own sister was going to be a bride and nobody had thought to tell her? She knew her mother was angry because of the will, but this made their estrangement seem so . . . permanent. As she reached her old bedroom, Milly asked herself, did she care? Well, yes, she did. Agatha was still her mother and Pearl was still her sister, even if they had disowned her.

The room seemed exactly as she had left it. Even the dip on the eiderdown where she had rested her suitcase was still there. As she stood in the doorway looking around, all at once the loss of her father slammed so hard into her chest that she could hardly breathe. Staggering towards the bed she sat down, pulled off her glasses and sobbed.

Downstairs, Seebold and Mrs Cunningham were becoming great friends. They chatted amiably as she poured him tea and he told her all about Milly’s new position.

‘She always was good at painting,’ said Mrs Cunningham. ‘The master used to say she’d be a great artist one day.’

‘She’s hoping to go back to art school after Christmas.’

Mrs Cunningham smiled. ‘Are you two . . .? I mean, are you, like we used to say in my day, walking out together?’

Seebold chuckled. ‘No, not me, missus. I like to be footloose and fancy-free.’

‘Why? You like her a lot, I can see that by the way your face lights up whenever you talk about her.’

Seebold nodded shyly. ‘I do. She’s a beautiful girl.’

Mrs Cunningham nodded. ‘You’re right there,’ she said. ‘She and her sister are as different as chalk and cheese.’

‘When does her sister get married?’

‘On the eighth of January,’ said Mrs Cunningham. ‘It’s going to be quite an occasion, from what I can gather. Half the county will be there, and the bishop of Horsham is taking the service.’ As she reached over and put a plate with a generous slice of cake in front of him, Mrs Cunningham nudged Seebold’s arm. ‘You could make it a double wedding.’

The young man shook his head. ‘Umm.’ he said thoughtfully, ‘I think I’m busy that day.’

They were interrupted by the sound of a car coming up the driveway. ‘Oh lummy Charlie,’ said Mrs Cunningham, getting to her feet. ‘They’re back already.’

Upstairs, it had taken several minutes for Milly to regain her composure. She blew her nose and opened the canvas bag she’d brought with her. There wasn’t a lot left in the drawers in her room, but a photo album distracted her once again. As she turned the pages, childhood memories came flooding back. Walks with her father by the sea, a picnic on Cissbury Ring, that frisky dog they’d once had, a garden fête in the vicarage, playing in the garden with dolly . . . dolly! She hadn’t thought about her doll for a while, not since she’d wrapped her up and hidden her in the back of the drawer. Well, she’d better take her now.

Pushing the album down the side of the bag, she knelt beside the chest of drawers and pulled open the bottom drawer. Milly caught her breath. Everything inside had been disturbed. Her neatly stored toys and games were untidy and jumbled up. She reached her hand into the back of the drawer where the blue shawl should have been and found an empty space. Dolly wasn’t there! So where was she? As Milly began to pull everything out onto her lap, a voice behind her said, ‘You won’t find her. She’s not there.’

Milly spun round. Pearl stood in the doorway. Milly’s first thought was that her sister looked sensational. Dressed in a pale grey woollen dress with matching coat, the dress itself was loose with a pleated front panel reaching to the hem. Round her neck her sister had a three-string pearl necklace which rested on a chevron design in a darker grey on the front of her dress. Pearl’s eyes were covered by some fine netting on her small-brimmed black hat and, as she moved into the room, a waft of Chanel No. 5 accompanied her.

‘What have you done with my doll?’ Milly demanded. ‘Where is she?’

‘Oh, she’s safe enough,’ said Pearl, a malicious smile on her lips. ‘You needn’t worry. I won’t be getting rid of your doll.’ She sat on the bed. ‘You’re a sly one, aren’t you? When did you get her fixed up?’

‘I didn’t,’ said Milly. ‘I thought I’d lost her forever down the back of that log pile, but Le . . .’ She stopped, already realising it was too late to pretend that she hadn’t been about to say her sister’s name.

Pearl moved her head up and down slowly, her mouth in a sneer. ‘I see. Now I wonder what Lena would say if she knew why the doll was there in the first place.’

The remark made Milly feel ridiculously panicky. ‘You won’t tell her, will you?’

Her sister simply raised an eyebrow.

‘Oh Pearl, please . . . You can’t!’

Her sister gave her a smug smile. ‘I rather think I can,’ she said.

Milly could feel tears pricking her eyes, but she was determined not to let her sister see she was upset. She turned her attention to the bag and began stuffing as much as she could inside.

‘Oh, of course, you don’t know, do you? We’ve all been to church,’ said Pearl. ‘Today was the third time the banns for my wedding were read out.’

‘Congratulations,’ Milly said quietly.

‘You must come and meet my fiancé.’

‘I already met him,’ said Milly, beginning to regain her composure. ‘You introduced me that night at Lady Verity’s, remember? He seemed very nice.’ She rose to her feet. ‘I’ve almost finished packing. I’ll soon be out of your way.’ She zipped up the bag but, as she headed for the door, she bumped into her mother. ‘Oh!’

‘I’ve told Freddie to send that man with the lorry packing,’ Agatha said coldly. ‘Who is that dreadful creature, and what was he doing in my kitchen?’

‘He’s my friend,’ Milly said defensively, ‘and he came to help me collect the rest of my things.’