Miss Croft went to the U.S.A. with Frances Abbey Dallett Kissel in 1923 aged 44. She lived at 33 East 67th Street, New York City, but traveled extensively throughout Europe. She retired in 1946 aged 67 after 23 years with the Kissel family as lady's maid and returned to England that year.
When Mrs Collins talks to Thomas Laden of discovering the body of Mrs Paine, who had a stroke, this was Dorothy Isabel Paine, a single woman, who died in 1947 aged 62.