‘Anyway,’ he continued, yawning, ‘I managed to escape again, successfully this time. I flitted around the villages and towns and eventually ended up in Kelseth. Grace found me and brought me back here, and who was waiting for us as we walked through the door? Cass. To him I’m just a snivelling, conniving child whose sole purpose is to get in his way, so I’ve always borne the brunt of his pent-up frustrations. No one else will stand up to him, see. I know I don’t look like much but after the poorhouse, I couldn’t stand by and let people be cruel any longer. People need to pay for what they say and do.’ Glenn coughed and then winced, clutching his bruised ribs.

‘All right, all right.’ Lily settled Glenn back down into bed, trying to ignore how uneasy his story had made her feel. She’d found Morven and Cass to be amiable, quick to help, generous with their time. The version that Glenn painted told a different story. ‘Let’s get you settled. We can carry on talking later, when you’ve had some rest. How does that sound?’

Glenn smiled weakly and exhaled. ‘Thanks, Lily. You’re just like Grace – kind.’ He closed his eyes and his breathing very quickly turned heavy and rhythmic.

Lily felt satisfied that she had managed to help him, even a little bit, and left his room, closing his door quietly. What a complex, unusual boy, with such a horrendous history. Could it all really be true?

She took her time walking back to the main room, knowing that she wanted to coax some answers out of Jem, but unsure how she would manage it without upsetting him.

When she entered the room she found it eerily empty, embers still hissing in the grate. Bemused, Lily wandered back out the way she had come and headed into the courtyard. There was no sound but the crashing waves. Lily decided to try Jem’s study, but on the way there, noticed a lone figure sitting out on the rocks. Her heart fluttered.

Jem.

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, buried her hands in her pockets, and wandered over to him. She made sure to tread heavily and to clear her throat on approach; Lily figured that surprising him in this state would only make him harder to communicate with. He was sitting cross-legged on a large rock, wrapped in a dark checked woollen blanket, and his hair was still out of its usual bun; the wind was whipping it around his shoulders, but he didn’t seem to mind. His arms were wrapped defensively around his knees, and when he heard Lily approaching, he glanced over his shoulder and gave her an almost-smile. It was unconvincing.

‘How is he?’ Jem sounded concerned, but not as concerned as he should. It was a polite concern, as if Glenn were a passing acquaintance, rather than a boy in his care.

‘He’s sleeping now. The salves I’ve treated his wounds with should quicken the healing process, and he’s pretty well bandaged. I’ll keep an eye on things, change his dressings, but I’ve every faith that he’ll be right as rain in a few days. Surface wounds, that’s all. Bad ones, I’ll admit. But surface wounds, all the same.’ Lily dropped down by Jem, not wanting to impose but craving the warmth of his blanket in the cold, salty air. ‘Where’s everyone else?’