I let this settle for a moment and then I fairly burst. I want to go. Can we go? Next week, can we go?

But Clementina, labouring up the rise, huffed a few words that the wind muffled up and tossed away. I made up my mind to be patient, to go to kirk and bow my head and think of the word of God. And I would ask Kitta later, back at our hoosie.

As if she’d heard what I was thinking, Kitta half turned and blew me a kiss across her shoulder.

~

The streets of Lerwick were alive with people by the time the gas-lamps had been lit.

Keep your hand over your pocket, Meggie, Kitta shouted in my ear.

I frowned.

Or they’ll pat ye down for your money.

My hand flew to the pocket of my skirt. All I had was elevenpence in coppers and a silver sixpence and just let anyone try to take it, just let them try! I stared at oranges in shop windows, all polished up and shiny, and even though I’d never tasted one, swear to God, lambsie, just looking made my mouth flood, all sharp and tangy.

I kept my eyes on the oranges as Kitta shuffled me forward, but the next window—oh! Lemon drops. Licorice! For the first time in my life I felt a longing for things. Not sensible things, no, not things on a list—just pretty, delicious, extravagant things.

Kitta took one look at my face and reeled me back in. Window shopping, quinie, that’s all, she said as we pushed our way into a narrow lane famous for its Shetland shawls.

Just look, Kitta said, draping white lace over her face like a veil and rubbing the wool between her thumb and forefinger. People do say it’s fine enough to be drawn through a wedding band.

Kitta looked so much like a bride in the beautiful shawl that I felt I would cry, but the shop woman snatched it from her head and flicked her fingers at us. Be off, away!

Next door were soft ganseys too grand for the humble name, in stitches I didn’t know and complicated patterns of leaves and crosses that I would never be able to knit. Granda Jeemsie’s voice seeped into my head: The devil do bide in funcy things. I shivered myself free of that voice.