It was an accident, they said. She ran on to the ride and lost her footing. Shocked and humbled, the people began to drift away.

Dave remained for a long time, holding the dead girl close, talking to her. Unaware that she was carrying his child.

The policeman was gentle. ‘Come away, son,’ he urged. ‘Let the officers do their work.’

Shaking in his every limb, Dave left Sandra’s body, but he did not go far. Instead, he watched them lift her out from between the tracks, and he covered his face, unable to take in the horror.

Shaking uncontrollably, Lottie was out of her mind. ‘It was Sandra!’ she kept saying. ‘Sandra Craig.’ Between the sobs, she grew hysterical. ‘She was Molly’s best friend.’ And try as they might, they could not console her.

When Lily arrived on the scene, Lottie fell into her arms, her screams swelling louder and louder as she realised the enormity of what had happened.

‘Stop it!’ Raising her hand, Lily smacked the girl hard across the face. At first Lottie was stunned into silence, her shocked eyes uplifted to Lily’s face. After a minute, the tears came again, this time quieter, rolling down her face as she stared up at Lily in disbelief. ‘It was Sandra,’ she sobbed. ‘She’s dead, Lily… Sandra’s dead!’

‘I know, sweetheart, I know.’ Holding her tight, the fat woman rocked her back and forth, until Dave came to take her away.

‘Ssh, Lottie,’ he murmured. ‘I’ve got you now. Ssh!’

As he walked her back to the wagon, he felt a terrible grief, an emotion he had never experienced before. Sandra had come to find him. Now she was gone – and he was the one to blame.

Knowledge like that was a heavy cross to bear.

Part Three

JANUARY 1949

A SECRET KEPT

Chapter Nineteen

When they laid Sandra to rest in the garden of St Mary’s Church, the priest made a mention of the bright sunshine.

‘Sometimes, in the middle of a grey winter’s day, a ray of sunshine breaks through to lift our hearts, and give us hope. Sandra Craig was like that; a little tempest one moment, a ray of sunshine the next. Exasperating, infuriating, immensely funny, and never still.’

He smiled at the recollection. ‘Many was the time I had to reprimand her for one thing or another… as did her mother, Rosie, I know.’ He winked comfortingly at Rosie, whose eyes were bright with tears. ‘There were days when Sandra could make it feel like winter, then there were other days when her humour made you smile and lifted your heart. She taught us never to take her for granted. She was young and vibrant, and lived her life to the full. Today, we thank the Lord for letting us know her, albeit for such a short time.’

In that churchyard, in the sunshine, he made his blessing and it was done.

Quietly, sadly, they turned away; all but Molly, who lingered there, her sorry eyes downcast to the hole in the ground where her friend lay. Her thoughts went back to the happy times, and the times she had tried so hard to make Sandra see sense.