Mrs Ruffin seriously doubted that this was possible and as she gently bathed the young woman’s head with cool water she felt as if her heart were breaking. From the second she had taken over the care of Louisa when she was just a tiny baby her whole life had been devoted to her, and now she couldn’t bear to think about being without her – she was her reason for being.

‘There, my brave lass,’ she crooned and Louisa’s eyes blinked open as her hand sought Ruffy’s.

‘R-Ruffy, please . . . I beg you; the pain is so terrible.’ As she drew her legs upwards, she gasped and grimaced with pain. ‘P-please, help me. I can’t bear it anymore. Please, if you love me . . . put me out of my misery . . .’

Mrs Ruffin swallowed, and in that moment she knew that her beloved girl had had enough. Her eyes locked with Louisa’s and very slowly she nodded as she gently eased the pillow from beneath her head.

‘I love you, my lass. You’ll never know how much,’ she said brokenly, and as she saw the gratitude in Louisa’s eyes, she placed a kiss on her forehead and gently placed the pillow across her face and pressed down hard. Louisa was too weak to fight even if she had wanted to and within an amazingly short space of time Mrs Ruffin sensed that she was gone from her.

As she lifted the pillow, she saw that the pain was gone from Louisa’s face and she looked at peace. She gently lifted her head and replaced the pillow.

‘Sleep tight, my precious lass,’ she muttered and turning about blindly she stumbled across the room to swish aside the curtains and open the window so that her beloved girl’s soul could fly free. At last Louisa was free of pain but Mrs Ruffin knew that hers was only just beginning.

Beyond the window the wise old owl sat hooting in his favourite tree and a silver moon hung suspended in a black velvet sky. Everything looked exactly as it had the night before but Mrs Ruffin was painfully aware that nothing would ever be the same again.