wear than the severe black cotton uniform provided by Mrs Upton. She adjusted her white cap, which had slipped over one eye in the fall. ‘Good afternoon, sir.’ She turned away, avoiding his amused gaze as she felt her cheeks redden with embarrassment.
‘Let me help.’ He lifted Flora as easily as if she were a toddler, and held her until she had fastened the slightly bent and battered star in place. ‘That looks splendid, Flora. You and Miss Radcliffe have done an excellent job.’
Alice murmured an acknowledgement, but was still unable to look him in the face. For a gentleman to see a lady’s unmentionables was shocking even to someone who considered herself to be a modern young woman. Flora, however, did not seem to be worry about such niceties and she clung to her uncle’s hand.
‘Have you brought me a present?’
‘Need you ask?’
‘What is it? May I see it now?’
He shook his head. ‘You will have to wait until tomorrow, so there’s no need for you to put on that sulky face, Flora.’
‘But I want—’ Flora broke off, shooting a sideways glance at Alice. ‘I mean, I would like just to see it and feel it so that I can imagine what it might be. Please, Uncle Rory.’
He stood back, holding his hand to his heart with an exaggerated look of astonishment. ‘Who is this polite child? What have you done with Flora, Miss Radcliffe? Where is my niece?’
His laugh was infectious and Alice forgot her moment of chagrin. ‘Flora is standing beside you, sir. She is a reformed character.’
He bent down to ruffle Flora’s curls. ‘In that case I think I might allow her to fetch the present and put it under the tree.’
‘Yes, please.’ Flora tugged at his hand. ‘Where is it?’
‘I left it outside the door. Hoskins told me you were in here.’ He watched her with a smile on his lips as she raced from the room. ‘Such excitement,’ he said, turning to Alice. ‘I almost wish I were a child again at this time of the year.’
‘You’ve made her very happy.’ Alice folded her hands in front of her, not knowing quite how to behave in the presence of her employer’s brother. It was hard to remember that she was a servant. Her father had always treated her as an equal, as had his intellectual friends and acquaintances, but her lowly situation put her at a distinct disadvantage.
‘And you’ve wrought an astonishing change in her,’ he said in an undertone as Flora returned, carrying a large package tied with red ribbon.
‘It’s quite heavy,’ Flora said thoughtfully. ‘Is it a book?’
He shook his head. ‘I’m not giving you any clues. You’ll have to be like everyone else and wait until the morning. I suggest you place it beneath the tree.’
Flora shook the package, holding it close to her ear. ‘It rattles. Is it a box of coloured beads? You know I love necklaces.’
‘Put it under the tree.’ Rory turned to Alice with a wry smile. ‘Perhaps the old Flora is still here, after all.’
‘Flora,’ Alice said sternly.
‘Oh, all right.’ Flora walked slowly towards the tree and went down on her knees to place her present under its spiky branches. She jumped up again, spinning round to face her uncle. ‘Have you got a present for Alice, too?’
‘No, of course not, Flora,’ Alice said quickly. ‘Servants don’t get presents from their employers.’
‘Perhaps they should.’ Rory reached out to take Flora by the hand. ‘I’ve just had a splendid idea; something that will take your mind off presents.’
‘What is it? Tell me, please.’
‘The sun is still shining and the snow is crisp and clean in the gardens. Would you like to go for a walk?’
‘Yes, please. And we could make a snowman and snowballs.’
‘Remember what your mama said, Flora.’ Alice shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Dearborn, but your sister-in-law specifically forbade us to go out and play in the snow.’
Rory angled his head, a mischievous smile curving his generous lips. ‘Lydia is out and I’m reliably informed by Hoskins that she is not expected to return until four o’clock or even later.’
‘Please, Alice,’ Flora entreated. ‘Just this once. It might never snow again and I’ll die without having made a snowball.’
Alice looked from one eager face to the other and knew she was beaten. ‘That would be a tragedy indeed,’ she said softly.
Flora released her uncle’s hand to throw her arms around Alice. ‘I love you, Miss Radcliffe. May I call you Alice in front of Uncle Rory? He won’t mind. He’s a good sport. I heard my pa say so.’
‘Come along, Flora.’ Rory moved towards the door. ‘And you too, Alice. If Flora can call you that in private I claim that privilege too, and you must call me Rory.’
Alice hesitated. ‘I don’t think I ought to, sir.’
‘What did I just say?’ He paused in the doorway. ‘If I’m allowed to use your Christian name then you must return the compliment, and I insist that you accompany us. If I’m to be bombarded with lumps of ice I refuse to undergo the humiliation alone.’
It was an invitation she knew she should forgo, but it was her duty to look after Flora, or so she told herself as she hurried upstairs to fetch their outdoor garments.
The paths were well-trodden by nannies pushing babies in their perambulators, and their older charges had shuffled through the icy carpet, churning it up so that it turned to slush, but the pristine whiteness of the snow-covered grass was smooth as icing on a cake. Flora uttered a cry of delight, running round in circles and leaving a trail of footprints. Alice hesitated, glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching from the house, but common sense told her that the servants were far too busy to worry about the troublesome child who occupied the nursery. It seemed that Rory Dearborn was alone in regarding Flora as a person in her own right. He was watching her with an indulgent smile, which broadened as he turned to Alice.
‘You’ve worked wonders. Flora is a different child.’
Alice shook her head. ‘She’s always been like this but she wasn’t allowed to express herself. That’s why she was so badly behaved.’
‘Well, you’ve certainly brought out the best in her—’ he broke off as a snowball hit him in the chest. ‘Why, you little devil.’ Laughing he bent down and made another, lobbing it at Flora, who dodged and counterattacked with yet another good shot.
Alice stood back, smiling at their antics until a snowball caught her a glancing blow on the cheek. Forgetting that she was supposed to be above such things, she joined in until they were all breathless with laughter. Flora’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkling as she danced over to Alice. ‘Let’s make a snowman.’
Rory brushed flakes of ice off his overcoat. ‘You won that contest, I think, Flora.’
She
