‘Why, hello, Miss Holly,’ she greeted her with a smile. ‘What brings you out on such a cold and frosty night?’

‘I … I’d like to see Mrs Lockett if she’s in, please?’

‘Oh aye, she’s in all right,’ Lily told her cheerily. ‘She’s sat at the side o’ the fire wi’ the vicar. Come on in out o’ the cold an’ I’ll go an’ tell her yer here.’

Holly gratefully did as she was asked and the warm air inside wrapped itself around her like a blanket, yet still she found that she couldn’t stop trembling. She had so many happy memories of attending the Sunday school the kindly woman had run each week when she was younger. Mrs Lockett used to supply all the children with sweeties and the air had rung with laughter, but tonight, in her distress, it felt as if those times were a million years ago.

‘Why, Holly, hello dear.’ Verity Lockett appeared and looked somewhat surprised to see her at that time of night, but nevertheless she held her arms out in welcome. ‘Whatever are you doing out on such a night?’ she asked, much as Lily had done only seconds earlier. Her hair was piled becomingly on top of her head and her face was flushed and rosy from the warmth of the fire.

She pecked Holly on the cheek and stared at her with a question in her eyes and that was Holly’s undoing. Suddenly she began to sob violently, releasing the tears she had held back.

‘I … I’ve left home.’

‘You’ve what?’ Verity was sure she must be hearing things. She knew how close Holly and her mother were.

In between sobs, Holly managed to tell her all about the row with her grandfather and the way he had ordered her to leave and why. ‘And so … I was wondering if you would let me stay here,’ she ended in a strangled voice. ‘It would be just for tonight. I’m meeting Ivy, our maid, at the train station in the morning and she’s coming with me.’

Ivy often attended church with Holly and Verity was pleased that at least Holly wouldn’t be leaving on her own although she was a little concerned about her choice of travelling companion. Ivy was a very needy girl from what Verity had seen of her and she worried that Holly could well end up looking after her as well as herself.

However, she pushed her concerns aside for the moment. ‘But of course you can stay,’ she told her soothingly. ‘And for as long as you like. Why don’t you just give it a little time to see if your grandfather has a change of heart?’

Holly shook her head. ‘Thank you but no. Grandfather won’t change his mind. He has his heart set on me marrying Mr Dolby, and nice a man as he is, I couldn’t bear to marry someone I didn’t love. Why, even his son is older than me!’