‘It’s a little late for that now, isn’t it?’ I shrugged. ‘And as we’re just friends, I can’t see that it matters.’

‘Surely a friend would know if another friend was about to be married?’

‘Are you suggesting that we aren’t friends then?’

I was more concerned about her opinion of my relationship with Beamish than I was about the fact that I was no longer poised for matrimony.

‘What I’m suggesting,’ she said firmly, ‘is that your friendship hasn’t been built on a particularly honest foundation, and I know I am mostly to blame for that and that it was a mistake. An error of judgement on my part. I also know that Beamish is very fond of you, Hattie. Far fonder than he should be given that you’re about to be married to someone else.’

I didn’t know what to say, but my heart sped up a little in response. I wasn’t ready to tell Dolly that my impending marriage was off thanks to Jonathan’s abusive outburst and recently revealed treachery. I was still coming to terms with it all myself.

‘Jonathan hasn’t proposed yet,’ I said instead.

‘Don’t be so flippant,’ Dolly snapped, sounding cross.

‘Sorry,’ I hastily apologised.

Dolly rarely got cross and I was taken aback to see that she was seriously concerned.

‘Has Beamish said something specific to you?’ I asked. ‘About me and him?’

I wondered if he had mentioned our near-kisses.

‘No,’ she said, ‘but then he doesn’t have to. There are just some things you pick up on and I can see it written all over his face. I hadn’t bargained on that.’

‘Hadn’t bargained on what?’

‘Never mind,’ she frowned. ‘But I know now that keeping quiet about Jonathan was a big mistake and you need to tread carefully, Hattie. The last thing that Beamish needs is a broken heart.’

‘I hardly think—’

‘That’s half the problem these days,’ she interrupted. ‘Folk rarely do.’

*

The advent service that afternoon was all about joy, but I was far from feeling jubilant as I watched the third candle being lit. All I could do now was hope that Jonathan would respect my request to leave me alone. My mind might have been made up that we should part, but I wasn’t ready to tell him yet because I wasn’t sure how he would react. My wrist was a very painful reminder of just how explosive his temper could be.

My thoughts strayed back to Mum’s email. She had said that the letter she sent back with Jonathan after he told them his therapist had said I shouldn’t see them for a while was probably overly emotional, but of course I’d never received it so I didn’t know.