Sibbie felt both elation and fear: to have Paulo here would be a dream come true. She’d fallen for him the moment she’d met him as a little girl, but he looked upon her as a cousin, even though they weren’t related at all. But then Flors, Ella and Mags had brought up their families to be one unit, and she was part of that unit, being the daughter of Flors’s brother.

The news reports on the treatment of the Jews in Germany made her shudder, and she couldn’t bear to think of such things happening to her beloved Paulo. ‘Oh dear, Marjie, I felt so happy to be coming to see you, and at the prospect of us studying together, but now I feel really downhearted. Suddenly it seems everyone, and everything we love, is in danger.’

‘Yes, it does feel like that, but it is also a wonderful time for us. Let’s not talk of war; instead let’s have a magical time for the next two weeks until we start our lessons. We can picnic at weekends, if this weather holds – I can drive now and—’

‘Me too! We can go into the Bowland Hills and into Clitheroe. I can show you Pendle Hill, where it is said they burned witches long ago.’

‘Ooh, will we see ghosts?’

‘They say you can at Halloween, and that’s only a couple of months away.’

‘Where have I been sent? I thought I would be safe here, but now it seems I am to be near ghouls.’

Sibbie made a face, growled and put her hands up, in a mock attempt to scratch Marjie. ‘Now you know the truth: we are all witches.’

They fell about laughing at this, their cares forgotten.

Marjie’s laughter was a lovely light sound, which lit up her face and made her even more beautiful.

The family resemblance between the two girls was evident in their looks, height and colouring. Both had dark-brown hair and very dark eyes. Sibbie’s face was more rounded than Marjella’s clear-cut features, making her pretty rather than beautiful, whereas Marjella’s beauty and French chic made everyone look twice.

A warm feeling overcame Sibbie. It was so good to be together, despite the ominous reasons that had prompted Aunt Flors and Uncle Cyrus to let Marjie come and study in England. But Sibbie did wonder how their lives were going to pan out over the next couple of years or so, and silently prayed that war wouldn’t happen.

CHAPTER TWO

Laurens, Hérault, France

Ella and Flors