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on the table and pushed her into a chair. ‘Just you sit there, my lass, and get something in your belly before you fall over.’ She glanced at the kitchen clock. ‘Madam won’t be needing you for half an hour, so you just put your feet up. You’ll be run off them soon enough.’
    Fortified by food, Maggie was more optimistic. The morning had been a storm in a teacup. She set her lips. She’d put him right out of her head, forget what had happened and avoid both father and son as much as possible. She smiled; she’d be back to her own job once Emily recovered from her toothache, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
    But she was wrong.
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Chapter 5
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    â€˜Young Master Jeremy just can’t get enough of my home cooking,’ beamed Mrs McAllister. ‘He’s never out of the kitchen. That’s the second time he’s been down today.’
    Maggie avoided her eyes and concentrated on goffering the flounces on Lady Georgina’s blouse. She didn’t need to be told. Every time he appeared her heart skipped a beat and once, when no one was looking, he’d grinned at her and winked.
    She blushed. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he had taken to coming into Lady Georgina’s bedroom when she was doing her hair - ostensibly to keep his mother company, but in reality to watch Maggie as she worked. Aware of his eyes on her, she made mistake after mistake until Lady Georgina lost her temper.
    â€˜For heaven’s sake, girl!’ she snapped. ‘What’s wrong with you? You’re as clumsy as an ox.’
    â€˜Yes, m’m,’ she muttered, secretly wishing she could box his ears as easily as she boxed Thomas’. ‘Sorry m’m,’
    So it was a relief when her half-day next came round and she could get away from the house for an afternoon.
    â€˜Wot you gonna do, then?’ asked Emily, admiring Maggie in her best frock.
    Maggie smiled. ‘I’m going to do exactly the same as I was when my last half-day got cancelled,’ she said. ‘I’m going to ‘ave a walk round the market and buy meself a new ‘at. Then I’m going ter ‘ave a nice stroll in the park, and afterwards I’m going ter treat meself to a visit to the music hall.’
    â€˜Lucky bugger,’ said Emily glumly. ‘I ain’t off again for three weeks.’ She grinned. ‘And just you behave yourself, my girl. No picking up soldiers in the park. You know what her ladyship says about followers.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘All right for her though; she’s already got herself a husband and a title.’ She pulled a face. ‘Mind you, I wouldn’t ‘ave ‘im. Can you imagine that fat old git putting his hands all over yer? It’s enough to turn yer stomach!’
    Maggie suppressed a shudder. She didn’t need to imagine it, she’d already felt his podgy fingers prying and prodding at her. She dismissed the horrible memory, determined not to let it spoil her day. ‘Right, that’s me off,’ she announced. ‘See you later.’
    â€˜â€˜Ave a good time then,’ said Emily. ‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.’ She giggled. ‘And remember - if you can’t be good, be careful.’
    â€˜I will,’ said Maggie.
    It was sheer bliss to be a lady of leisure and wander at will without being at the beck and call of Lady Georgina. The market was a riot of colours and smells, with costermongers bellowing their wares and ragamuffins dodging in and out of the crowd. Women with scruffy children hanging onto their skirts tried to find the best bargains to eke out their meagre supply of coppers. Maggie savoured it all. She spent a pleasant half hour at a hat stall, trying on one after the other before finally deciding on a pert straw boater with a pale blue ribbon of watered silk. With the parcel tucked under her arm, she treated herself to a bag of whelks