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‘Now, now, Irma,’ her father tried to soothe her.

‘Stay out of this, Henry. You’ve done enough damage.’

Fleur could feel herself turning snake-eyed. ‘You’re the one doing damage, Irma.’ She just stopped herself from adding And I just have to work out how. Instead, she cleared her throat. ‘I’m going out with Tom today, as a matter of fact, and I am going to ask him to join us for our evening meal on Tuesday. Please, can we have anything but roast mutton – I’m sure he’s had enough of that in his life.’

‘You’re what?’

‘You heard me, Irma. I have as much right to invite guests as you do. If you don’t wish to join us, feel free to remain absent from dinner. I don’t want anything special laid on for Tom. I’d simply like him to meet Dad again.’

‘And how long is this new friend here for?’ Irma said, sounding scornful.

Fleur shrugged. ‘I’m not his keeper. He’s working at the woolstores and staying at the Alberton Hotel until he can find some proper lodgings.’

Her father placed his hands either side of his empty porridge bowl as though he was ready to flee the conversation. ‘He’s most welcome around our table, Fleur. Tuesday, you say?’

She nodded, ignoring the look of hatred Irma gave her.

‘Good, that’s settled. Irma, we shall do a roasted chicken. Tell the lad five o’clock, Fleur.’ Henry pulled out his fob watch and flipped it open. ‘Right, I can’t be late for the Jones family.’

‘I’ll take care of Mrs Chambers before I go. Er, Dad, would it be all right if Robbie drives us into the city, please? It will take hours on a Sunday to get there by bus.’

‘And where, pray tell, is he taking you?’ Irma demanded.

‘To the zoo, Irma. And before you sneer, it was my choice.’

Her stepmother made a face anyway. ‘Not very romantic.’

‘It’s not meant to be. It’s a day out and what a beautiful day it is,’ Fleur said, unable to hide her pleasure at knowing she would be with Tom in a few hours. She stood. ‘Thank you for breakfast, Irma.’

Henry stood too, giving Irma a perfunctory peck on the cheek. ‘Yes, thank you. Fleur, my love, I hope your day is splendid with your new young man. I’m looking forward to meeting him again.’

Fleur revelled in the twisted expression on her stepmother’s face and knew she would probably have to pay dearly for her revelation of this morning.

At the Royal Zoological Gardens in Adelaide’s Frome Street, Fleur queued with Tom alongside a horde of other sightseers and pleasure-seekers, dressed up in their best for a day out.

‘It’s busy,’ Tom remarked, looking around wide-eyed.

‘It’s Sunday and it’s sunny,’ Fleur said. ‘I’m actually surprised there aren’t more people.’ She stood on tiptoe to sneak a view of the turnstile. ‘Ah, we’re finally moving,’ she confirmed.

‘You look beautiful,’ he said.

She smiled. ‘So you’ve told me.’

‘Well, all that colour really suits you.’

Fleur smoothed the floral frock made of what the lady at Foy & Gibson had described as novelty crinkled crepe with a riot of tiny flowers in myriad colours against a cream backdrop.

‘All these new fabrics, dear,’ she’d said. ‘Hard to keep up with them, but you do look most delightful in it. Fits as though it was tailored for you.’

Fleur had demurred, needing to be convinced. ‘I must admit that I prefer the dropped waist or looser fittings of a few years ago.’

‘My dear, the waist is back! And your neat figure and slender looks couldn’t suit it more if you tried.’

Fleur had glanced again in the mirror, not wanting to like it but aware of how attractive the dress looked on her. It cinched at the waist but had a loosely frilled neckline that was echoed by a slightly fluted hemline not too far from her ankles. The sleeves were three-quarter length and while it was a modest dress, it was helplessly pretty.

‘I’m not used to being this colourful – I’m always in my dark formal outfits for work,’ Fleur told Tom, coming out of her recollection of buying the dress several months ago when summer was still in full roar. ‘But I’m glad I wore flat shoes. I want to walk until my feet ache and I see every creature in the zoo.’

He grinned. ‘Come on.’ He clasped her hand in his rough one and it felt warm and safe as they shuffled towards the turnstile.