Cass and Morven were sensible, but the others were so young to be left alone for any amount of time, and with the tension that had built and culminated in Glenn and Cass’s fight only a few days ago, they were both dubious about leaving them unsupervised. Ever-responsible Morven would ensure Maeve and Brenna were kept away from anything dramatic, but when the boys were violent, she wouldn’t be able to restrain them both. She was strong but she was only one person.

Something else was niggling at her mind though, and Lily hadn’t felt brave enough to mention it to Jem. What if, for whatever reason, they couldn’t come back? What if they were kidnapped as Alice had been, or worse, killed in the attempt to break out Alice and Grace? It was a horrible thing to consider but a necessary consideration, nonetheless. They were walking directly into enemy territory – an enemy more prepared and more powerful than the two of them. But she hadn’t come all this way to back out now; Alice needed her, and Lily was thankful that she had Jem by her side. Yet she hadn’t really considered the actual process of a rescue mission until very recently and suddenly it seemed impulsive and foolish, especially since there was a lighthouse filled with children who relied on their safe return. Not to mention the innumerable children still to be saved and cared for.

Jem glanced at her as he paced the room and her worries were mirrored in his furrowed brow. He, too, knew how dangerous this journey was going to be. Lily was brought back to the present as she felt a warm, tacky liquid flow from her hand. She looked down and saw the mess she had made by absentmindedly picking at the torn skin and hangnails on her fingers.

She excused herself from the room and went to the kitchen to wash her scarlet hands in the copper sink. Her fingers were throbbing with a constant, dull ache. There was a roll of gauze next to the sink which she tried, unsuccessfully, to wrap around her hands but the flow of blood was still too heavy. She looked up as Jem appeared in the doorway. He looked as worried as she felt.

‘What have you done?’

‘My fingers. I picked them to shreds. I do it when I’m—’

‘Anxious. I know. I’ve noticed.’ He looked sympathetic and then noticed the gauze that was half-heartedly wrapped around her left hand. ‘Do you need a hand?’ he asked, and then laughed in spite of himself.

Lily laughed too. ‘I need two – ideally two working ones – that aren’t bleeding. But, failing that, I’d like some help wrapping them. Thanks.’ She kept hold of the gauze and Jem went to grab a damp cloth, poured some of the warm water from the kettle over it, and then dabbed at her fingers. After a few minutes of this, the bleeding became less profuse. Jem then tightly wrapped her hands in the gauze. The bandages still looked a little red from the blood, but at least it had been suppressed.