Lou’s legs buckled. Hands reached out to take hold of her. Charlotte’s face swam into view.

‘Louisa! Louisa!’ she heard Charlotte cry. ‘Please someone, help. Have Dawson bring Mama’s car around so that we can take Miss Arnold back to the house.’

‘No,’ Lou stammered. ‘I’m all right.’ She turned to look at the men holding her up and thanked William and Bainbridge, adding, ‘Really, I’m quite all right now.’ She had to reassure them for a third time, before they reluctantly released her. ‘Please,’ she said to Charlotte, ‘I don’t want to cause a fuss. Can we go inside?’

Charlotte gripped Lou’s arm and led her down the aisle to the front pew where Lady Mandeville, Mrs Hart, and Edward were already seated. Helping her to sit, Charlotte leant past and whispered to her aunt, ‘Louisa had a fainting spell outside. I said that she should go back to the house, but she insisted on coming in. Don’t tell Mama. Louisa doesn’t want a fuss.’

Lou fixed her gaze on the herringbone weave of her skirt and listened to the creak of wood and the rustle of clothes as the congregation filled the pews behind. Mrs Hart leant in so close that Lou could smell her exotically spiced perfume, full of ginger and jasmine. ‘We each feel our losses keenly at this time of year, don’t we?’ She slipped a handkerchief from the pocket of her coat and placed it in Lou’s lap.

The vicar stood in the pulpit. ‘Welcome one and all,’ he said. ‘It is truly wonderful to see so many smiling little faces here today. I hope you have all brought your loudest singing voices.’

Mrs Hart took Lou’s hand. She held it through the entire carol service, only letting go when they knelt to pray. The warmth of Mrs Hart’s hand gave Lou the strength to stay in her seat and not run from the church. Eventually, she stopped trembling. Somebody, somewhere, must have administered another dose of morphine.

When the service came to an end, Lou was glad to escape into the fresh air. Lady Mandeville thanked the vicar and took the car back to the house, and Lou joined Mrs Hart, Charlotte and Edward in making their way on foot.

After checking that Lou was well, Charlotte walked ahead with Edward, her arm slipped through his. His shoulders were rolled, and he walked slowly while Charlotte almost skipped beside him, turning to grin at him every so often, plainly attempting to make amends.

‘I’m afraid that I sometimes forget just how young my niece is,’ Mrs Hart said, a softness in her voice. ‘I’m hard on her, I know, but not nearly as hard as the world is on young women. I suppose, in my own way, I’m attempting to make her stronger. But I think I may have gone too far this morning. I will apologise to her later.’

‘I think she would appreciate that,’ Lou said. ‘And thank you … for being so kind to me in church.’