‘It will, so we’ll see you about one o’clock?’ She hesitated, hoping Edward wouldn’t think she was being pushy, before saying, ‘I have a cab waiting – I could drop you off at Ruby’s if you like?’

Edward thought quickly. It was nearly five o’clock and dark outside, although the snow provided plenty of illumination. Clarissa and Godfrey would be home soon; he could leave them a note explaining where he was, and asking them to send Pearson later on. ‘Actually, that would work very well, if you don’t mind. Give me a moment to write a note to my sister and we can be off.’

Once Edward had disappeared, Olive exhaled a long breath. She looked down at Adam’s ring next to the gold wedding band. He had told Walter that he loved her when he was dying. She would never know for sure if he had meant it, or whether he was merely being kind knowing that he wasn’t long for this world.

She closed her eyes for a moment. But what she did know was that he had bought the ring for her. He must have saved up for months to give her the engagement ring she had never had, and he had done that because he cared for her in some measure. Not as he had loved Ruby – she wasn’t foolish enough to imagine that – but there were many levels of love, after all.

Ruby had always inspired love in those around her, even as a small child, and she had always been jealous of it. Bitterly jealous. And because of that she had taken something from her sister that could have destroyed their relationship for ever. Should have. But it hadn’t. She could still hardly believe it.

She reached in her pocket for her handkerchief and wiped her eyes. Now she could atone for that awful act of betrayal, and she prayed with all her heart that Ruby and Edward would sort things out. Because she loved her sister. And not because Ruby had been so good to herself and Alice, although she had. She loved Ruby because of who her sister was, inside, where it counts. Perhaps they’d had to reach adulthood before she could do that, or maybe if things hadn’t happened as they had she would have carried on hating her for ever, watching her with Adam and their babies while she remained a frustrated and angry spinster.

She blew her nose, shaking her head at herself. She was thinking too much again, and it never did her any good.