Marjie didn’t move for a moment. Her head remained on Sibbie’s shoulder. Slowly she lifted it. When she was sitting up straight, she put her hands out to Wills. ‘Hold me, Wills. Help me. Help me to bear it all in the way that I should.’

Wills lifted Marjie up off the sofa until she was standing, then held her to him. Sibbie got up and walked out of the room and went to the bedroom she shared with Marjie, thanking God that she’d been able to make Marjie see the situation as it really was.

She thanked God, too, that her immediate family were all right – at least her mum, her stepdad Rory and Aunt Betsy, Angus and Roderick and Rosie; and now Aunt Flors, too, was safe. But so many were in danger. Kneeling by her bed, she prayed harder than she’d ever prayed before in her life, for all those she loved, but as she did so, her head sank deeper and deeper into her chest with the realization that there was so much to face.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

London

Sibbie and Marjie

Christmas, in a day’s time, was all planned, as Sibbie found out the next morning. Wills was taking them to his home, just as he had said he would.

‘He’ll be picking us up around eleven. I can’t see him today, as he said he has an important assignment. And, Sibbie, I don’t know how to say this, but . . . well, we are staying the night and I – I . . .’

‘You don’t have to explain anything to me, Marjie. I’m very happy for you. I saw that your bed hadn’t been slept in, and I heard Wills leave about an hour ago.’

Marjie blushed, then giggled. ‘I thought you would think I’d got up early and made my bed.’

Sibbie picked a cushion up and threw it at Marjie. ‘You – make your bed? Ha, that’ll be the day.’

Catching the cushion, Marjie burst out laughing. The sound was such a relief to Sibbie.

‘Thanks, Sibbie. I have so much tugging at my heart that I don’t know how I’m going to get through it all.’

‘Well, we will be together. We’ll help each other through this, Marjie, we will.’

Marjie nodded. ‘And to have the memory of Wills – and of me truly being his – will help me, I know it will.’