‘Adam, do you want to say anything more before your parents arrive?’ George looked at him, well aware that the lad’s steely blue eyes had been fixed on Olive from the moment she had entered the room, and that if looks could kill, Olive would be six foot under. Like Mrs Walton, it occurred to George that the young happy-faced youngster he had always known was gone for ever, and in his place was a bitter and hate-filled man who looked years older. With this in mind, he added quickly, ‘Recriminations are no good now, lad, and to be fair it always takes two to make a bairn.’

Adam didn’t glance at his future father-in-law, neither did he speak. Instead his top lip curled away from his teeth as though he was surveying something putrid as he continued to look at Olive, and as she raised her head and met his gaze, her face paled to a dead whiteness.

Cissy stared at the pair of them, shocked by Adam’s expression and wondering what on earth they were all going to do. Everything was in ruins, everything, and from what George had said to her a few minutes ago he held her responsible for the animosity between Olive and Ruby. The thought brought a trembling sensation into her throat and for the first time since Ruby had been born she questioned herself, and as she did so, she was forced to acknowledge that there was an element of truth in what her husband had said. Even when Ruby had been a babe in arms, Olive hadn’t taken to her, but she had excused this by telling herself that Olive was just a baby herself at three years old and once Ruby could walk and talk, a big-sister affection would kick in. But it never had. And Ruby had been so bonny, so bright and beautiful, and there was poor Olive as plain as a pikestaff and painfully aware of it. Her heart had gone out to her. It still did, in spite of all that had happened. So perhaps George was right; perhaps she had brought this catastrophe on them all.

She lowered her head, drawing in a deep breath. She wanted to go back in time to when her two girls were bit bairns and do things differently; she wanted to make Ruby understand that she loved her just as much as Olive, and convince Olive that her baby sister was no threat and that having a sister was a precious thing if she’d open her heart to her. Instead she had made fish of one child and fowl of the other, and in so doing had unwittingly allowed Olive to justify her jealousy of Ruby in her mind. And now Ruby had disappeared, and her so bonny and young and innocent – what would befall her? And Olive, she’d brought disaster upon herself because however this turned out, her life was ruined.