I did my usual morning chores at the Hall, and instead of leaving just after lunch at 12.30 to go to school, I said to Miss Edwards, the most important of the servants at the Hall and Mrs. Isherwood’s maid, that I would like to see Mrs. Isherwood and speak with her if I could.

“She has gone from the house and will be away several days,” she said.

“Is Mr. Isherwood at home?” I asked.

“Yes, I think so, but surely you do not want to be speaking to him. He does not deal with the servants, Mrs. Isherwood does. He won’t appreciate you disturbing him.”

“I am prepared to take that chance. Could you please find out if he will see me?”

So with tightly pressed lips Matilda Edwards went to the study where Mr. Isherwood spent most of his time, and knocked on the door, and after a moment or two was asked to come in. She was away no more than five minutes, and looked most annoyed when she said, “He has agreed to see you for a moment of two. But mind you, don’t vex him. He doesn’t feel at all well today.”

So I bucked up my courage, and went to the study and knocked on the door. “Come,” he said.

“And so I see you again, little Eliza Hyde. Are you here to discuss the terms of selling your project to me already? I hope your teacher was as pleased with it as I was.”

I couldn’t help myself. I burst into tears. He looked most put out, and obviously didn’t know how to deal with me. Finally I controlled myself enough to say, “She burnt it. She said it was all lies that I had made up and she wouldn’t let me have it as a play for the class. And when I refused to change it and called her a name, she expelled me from school. And then when my Mother told me I had to apologise to her and beg to be taken back into school, and I refused, she told me I had to get a full time job. She doesn’t want me at home anymore.” At this I couldn’t contain myself any longer and sobbed uncontrollably.

“Now, don’t let on so, Little Eliza. I am sure if Mrs. Isherwood were here she would offer you a full time job with us. And I don’t see why I can’t do so on her behalf. Welcome to our staff, Eliza. My wife should be back by the end of the week, so we can’t do anything official before then, but I will tell her that you are to be a full time maid with us from next week. I’m sure something will be arranged for you to share a room with one of the other maids. I am very sorry to hear that your teacher treated your project with such disdain and burnt it. I do fully understand why you were so upset, and I applaud your standing up for your rights. I am only sorry that your project is no longer available for me to buy, but I hope that you will find the time to redo it, and then of course I will honour my pledge to you.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Isherwood. I will promise you I will be a good maid for you, and I will try to do the project again.”

“That’s a good girl. Now I think you had better leave me, as I have a splitting head. On your way out could you ask Miss Edwards to come in again? I will need her to find my medicine for me.”

So I did as I was asked, and then not knowing what else to do, I went home.

My mother was still sore angry with me, but when I told her Mr. Isherwood had promised me a full-time live in job at the Hall, she mellowed a bit.

“That was very good of him. But of course it is Mrs. Isherwood who must make the domestic arrangements. You say she is away at the moment. As soon as she is back, you must go and confirm it all with her. But as for now, you can of course stay here with us until the arrangements are made for you to move to the Hall. And you can make yourself useful in the meantime. I think all the windows, inside and out, could do with a good cleaning.”

What a comedown, cleaning our small windows after being used to doing the huge stained glass ones at the Hall, but knowing that my mother’s mellow mood might be short-lived, I did as good a job on them as I would have done if they were as beautiful and fancy as the ones at the hall.