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with a happy, ‘Good to see you all, and very good to be home.’
    How could she do the same, when he wasn’t there? He was so happy. When they were alone in the library, a fusty-smelling room full of books behind iron grilles, he hugged her and kissed her.
    â€˜It’s wonderful to be back,’ he said. ‘Wonderful you’re with me, darling. You’re going to love Riverstown. How about a little smile then?’
    He sat her down on his knee and kissed her, waking all the wicked senses that she’d been taught to suppress all her life. She was a delightfully fiery little thing, Philip thought, forgetting all about tea, opening her coat and beginning to unbutton her blouse.
    It was Eileen who heard the knock and leapt away from him before the door had time to open. The silver tray was set down by Lily, who was senior parlourmaid and in her thirties. She didn’t look at Eileen. She addressed herself to Philip.
    â€˜What time would you be wanting dinner, sir?’
    Philip knew her well. She was his mother’s toady, sneaking on the other maids, angling for the hated Mrs Gerard’s job.
    He said, ‘Ask Mrs Arbuthnot.’
    Eileen panicked. What time? Philip didn’t eat tea like they did at home. He ate dinner and all she could remember was living with him in London; when they rented a flat, he wouldn’t let her cook. There was a woman hired to do what she felt was a wife’s job. What time? The gleam in Lily’s eye was mocking as she repeated the question.
    â€˜Cook says, what time would you be wanting yer dinner, mam?’
    â€˜Eight o’clock, please.’ Eileen remembered their routine in London. It had taken her months to get used to eating so late and so many times a day.
    â€˜Very good, mam.’
    The door closed and Philip held out his arms. There was no desire left in her and she shook her head.
    â€˜I’ll pour the tea,’ she said.
    â€˜We can go early to bed,’ he suggested. ‘Or would you rather see round the house first?’
    She gave him the cup; a little had spilled in the saucer, because her hand wasn’t quite steady.
    â€˜I’d rather go to bed with you than see round any house,’ she said. ‘If we were in London now, that’s what we’d do. But not here, Phil. Not with all of them watching and sniggering.’
    â€˜Don’t be ridiculous,’ he exclaimed. ‘Nobody’s watching! Darling, for heaven’s sake, you’re the mistress here. You dealt with Lily perfectly well. It’s bound to be a bit strange for you at first, but saying you won’t make love to your own husband in your own house because of the servants …’
    â€˜They’re servants to you,’ she said quietly. ‘But I went to school with them. Mary Donovan is a cousin of my father’s! How am I going to do it, Phil? How am I going to manage this house and be a wife you can be proud of, when I’ve been brought up a different way, and everybody in the place knows it?’
    He could look quite hard, she thought suddenly. Quite the Arbuthnot, dealing with some nonsense from the Irish.
    â€˜If there’s any difficulty, Eileen, or advantage taken because you used to know them, we’ll sack the lot and get a completely new staff. So put that out of your head once and for all. Now give me a piece of that fruit cake and stop being silly. We’ll have a brief conducted tour. By the way, I want you to change the furniture round, get new curtains, that sort of thing. It’s your home now. Remember that.’
    Her eyes filled with tears. ‘I do love you,’ she said. ‘I’ll do my best, I promise you. I’ll love Riverstown because it’s yours.’
    â€˜That’s my girl,’ he said. ‘Try this cake. Mary makes the best fruit cake in Ireland.’
    She cut a slice to please him. It tasted heavy and there was too much whiskey in it for her