It was Pearl. Milly almost fainted with the shock, especially when she saw what her sister was holding in her hand. It was the doll. Milly’s heart went into her mouth. Pearl was going to tell Lena what they had done all those years ago, wasn’t she? Oh, why-oh-why had she put it off for so long? By the time Pearl was finished, Lena would hate her. A lump was forming in Milly’s throat and her eyes were already pricking with unshed tears.

‘Come in, come in,’ Lena told Pearl. ‘Sit down. Make yourself at home.’

Pearl nodded regally and placed herself in the armchair. Nan popped her head around the kitchen door. ‘Oh, it’s you, Miss Pearl,’ she said in a measured tone. ‘How nice to see you. Can I get you some tea?’

‘That would be very kind of you, Mrs Martin,’ Pearl cooed. She smiled up at Milly but Milly didn’t return the smile. She felt sick. Although it was all done, she turned her attention back to laying the table. Her hands were trembling. Was Pearl going to do this in front of everybody or would she ask to speak to Lena in private? Stupid question – Pearl would want to have her revenge in public. Milly sucked in her lips and struggled to control her sense of panic.

Cyril came in, stamping his feet on the mat and taking his coat off. ‘There’s going to be snow before long,’ he said then, spotting Pearl, he touched his forelock. ‘How do?’

Nan brought in the tea tray.

Lena chatted away, telling Pearl that she was going to stay here permanently now but she wouldn’t bother them up at the house. Politely she asked after Milly’s mother. Pearl, all smiles, spoke about the upcoming parties at Muntham Court, clearly waiting for her moment. Milly was in agony. Cyril might consider what she’d done as a childish and foolish superstition, but what would Nan and Seebold think when they heard that she had cursed Lena’s mother to death? And more importantly, how would Lena react? She would be horrified to know that her own sister had been so cruel.

‘May I ask,’ Lena enquired eventually, ‘what are you doing with that old doll?’

Pearl looked down at her hand as if she’d quite forgotten the doll was there. ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘is it yours?’

‘It’s Milly’s really,’ said Lena. ‘When she was a little girl, she left it in the wood pile.’ And turning to her sister she added, ‘Don’t you remember?’

‘Lena . . .’ Milly said helplessly.

‘I found it after I saw you and Pearl arguing under the window,’ Lena went on.

Milly’s jaw dropped. So she’d seen them? It must have been Lena who she had seen moving behind the curtain that night. Had she heard what they’d said? A deep sense of shame overwhelmed her.

‘It had a broken eye,’ Lena went on cheerfully. ‘Pa and I got it repaired and you made some lovely new clothes for it, didn’t you, Nan?’

‘That’s right,’ Nan smiled.

‘Then Pa left it in Milly’s bedroom for when she got back from school.’

‘What the devil was it doing in the wood pile?’ asked Cyril.

‘Milly threw it there,’ said Pearl, a note of triumph in her voice.

‘Really?’ said Lena. ‘I thought you threw it there.’ There was an ominous silence, then Lena added, ‘It was the night you said all those terrible curses over my poor mother, don’t you remember?’ Her tone was soft, innocent.

Pearl’s face flushed. ‘Milly was there too,’ she cried.

‘Only because you made her stay,’ said Lena, her voice becoming firmer. ‘I heard you. You were right under my bedroom window and I heard every word.’

The room was filled with an awkward silence.

‘Have you come to confess?’ Lena asked. ‘To say sorry?’

Pearl jumped to her feet and threw the doll in the chair. ‘No, I haven’t,’ she said, tossing her head. ‘I found the doll in the house and thought you might like it back. I was only trying to be friendly.’

‘Oh, I don’t think so,’ said Lena. ‘You came here to try and make things difficult for Milly, didn’t you?’

Pearl made for the door, but just at that moment it was flung open and Seebold burst into the room. ‘Flippin’ heck, it’s perishing out there,’ he said, undoing his scarf. Then seeing Pearl he added, ‘Oh excuse me, miss. I didn’t mean to get in the way.’

‘Don’t worry, I was just going,’ Pearl said through gritted teeth.

‘So soon?’ Lena trilled. ‘But you haven’t drunk your tea yet.’

Without another word, Pearl barged past Seebold and slammed the door behind her. Milly turned to Lena with tears in her eyes. ‘I am so sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I’m so ashamed. I didn’t know how to tell you.’

Lena put her arm around Milly’s shoulders. ‘There was no need.’

‘I can’t believe you heard it all and didn’t say anything,’ Milly said. ‘It must have hurt you so much.’

Lena shrugged. ‘It didn’t really understand at the time,’ she said, drawing her to one side so that the others wouldn’t hear, ‘so I asked Angel. She explained what curses were but she told me yours wasn’t a real one. She said it was just a stupid childish prank. Pa said the same. Angel told me I had to forgive you . . . which I did, and then Pa and I got the dolly mended. Pa told me you would talk to me about it one day. He said I should be patient and I just had to wait.’

‘He never said a word,’ Milly said. ‘And I did try so many times to tell you, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want you to hate me.’

‘I would never do that, you silly goose,’ said Lena. ‘You’re my sister. And anyway, it wasn’t you, was it? It was Pearl.’ She smiled then threw her head back and laughed. ‘She really thought she was going to put the cat among the pigeons, didn’t she? She was dying to cause trouble between us. What a joke. Did you see her face?’

The two sisters laughed and hugged each other.

Nan put the big pot onto the table. When she lifted the lid there was a collective cry of delight as the wonderful aroma of lamb hotpot filled the room. While Nan dished it up, Lena said, ‘This has been a wonderful day. Thank you all so much.’ As they waved away her compliment she added, ‘Oh, I didn’t tell you, did I? I’ve got a new job. Next week I start work at the stables. I shall be giving horse-riding lessons and helping to run the livery side of the business.’

Pearl was in such a rage she could hardly breathe. Her plan, so carefully thought out, had seriously backfired and, what was even worse, that gypsy girl had made her look a complete fool. By the time she’d arrived back at the house, she had a headache and she was shaking with rage. Coming in through the French windows, she grabbed a wine glass and helped herself to a stiff drink. How dared they; how dared they laugh at her?

Pouring herself another whisky, she threw herself into the armchair. She would get her own back on them. She would get that dreadful woman out of the cottage somehow or other. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. As the oldest girl, that property should have been hers. How she hated Lena.

Unknowingly, she was squeezing the stem of her glass. It broke. She had cut her little finger – not badly, but enough to draw blood. With whisky and glass in her lap, she vowed her revenge against Milly as well. They would pay for this. They would all rue the day they had crossed the Baroness Herren.

When they were alone at last, Lena could hardly wait to hear all about Milly’s date with Eustace. Milly told her everything.

‘So, are you seeing him again?’

Milly smiled happily. ‘He asked me if we could meet again,’ she said. ‘Oh Lena, he’s lovely. Such a gentleman, so kind and considerate.’

‘It’s taken you long enough to get there,’ said Lena, giving her a playful nudge. ‘He sounds right up your street.’

Chapter 31

Agatha and Pearl were basking in a warm glow of recognition. Their parties had fast become the talk of the county, and invitations to other people’s soirées, tea parties and card evenings had already filled their diaries up until the spring of 1939. Freddie kept the money flowing for them, and Agatha was thrilled that her son-in-law had finally started living up to her expectations.

Freddie’s superiors in London and Germany were more than happy too. The last time he’d gone to Prussia House, Christoph had been delighted with the names in Freddie’s little red book, but he’d explained that from now on, things were going to become difficult. MI5 were keeping a close watch on embassy staff, so frequent visits to London could result in Freddie himself being arrested. For that reason, he was to be given a radio receiver set.

Christoph handed him a railway left-luggage ticket. ‘In one week, you are to go to Worthing Central to pick up a case,’ he said, handing him a set of suitcase keys. ‘The radio will be inside.’

Freddie felt excitement and trepidation in equal measure. He wet his lips. ‘Supposing someone follows me from here?’

‘That is why you must wait a week,’ Christoph said tersely.

Freddie nodded.