‘I know what might help,’ her stepfather said suddenly. He was obviously trying to think of something he could do to take Kate’s mind off her mother’s trip. He left the kitchen and went through into the living room. Mystified, Kate followed and stood watching as he opened the front of his bureau. He searched beneath a pile of papers.

‘I really must get down to filling in these forms about this year’s crops for your mother. She hates anything to do with officialdom.’ He glanced back over his shoulder, winked at Kate and then continued his search. ‘Ah,’ he said triumphantly, pulling two sheets of writing paper from the heap. ‘Here it is! Right, let’s go back into the kitchen where it’s warmer. I want you to read this letter.’

Back in the kitchen, he told Kate to sit in his chair by the fire and handed her the letter. ‘It’s from my mother,’ Jonathan told her. ‘We received it whilst you were so poorly, but I always intended you should read it when you were stronger.’

Kate unfolded the pages and began to read. The letter was written in a bold flourishing hand and was dated the day of her visit to their home.

My dear Jonathan, Kate came to see us today and the poor child is in a dreadful state! She looks thin and pale – nothing like the healthy child we first met at little Lilian’s christening. She is obviously very unhappy at that school and if what she told us is true – and I can hardly believe a young girl of her age could make up such tales – then you and Esther should remove her from there at once.

We felt we should not interfere directly, but your father did hear some very disquieting news only last week, funnily enough. We didn’t say anything in front of young Kate, but we certainly think you and Esther should think things over very carefully. It seems this Miss Denham has only been there for a term. Miss Peterson, the previous Principal – a lovely woman – was taken ill very suddenly and sadly died. The appointment of Miss Denham seems to have been made with unseemly haste and – to my mind – with disastrous results! Already three parents have removed their girls from the school.

Kate raised her head and met her stepfather’s eyes. He nodded as if in answer to her unspoken question. ‘Of course, you were already home by the time we got this letter. In fact, you were home before the telegram arrived.’

‘Telegram?’ This was the first Kate had heard about a telegram.

Jonathan sat down in front of her and took her hands in his. Leaning forward he said, gently, ‘You were very wrong to run away, you know, Katie. You worried my mother and father – and Peg – very much.’

‘How – how did they know?’