Maggie was full of sympathy. ‘You did the right thing, George. Marion only scraped her knees and has a small bruise on her palm. It could have happened to anyone. Thank you for being so thoughtful. Will you stay for your tea?’

Marion was confused by his lies. He had exonerated himself with her parents, but not with her. She did her best not to address him, and said little throughout the meal.

Tea eaten and the wireless evening news listened to, Maggie and Robert were clearing up in the kitchen. As Marion brought some glasses in from the other room, she overheard her mother encouraging her dad to have an early night. ‘Marion and George need to have a little time on their own, Robert.’

‘But why?’

‘Why do you think? Have you forgotten how hard it was when we were courting?’

Robert laughed. ‘Aye, Marion was such a nosy little bairn. Always pushing herself between you and me when we were sitting on the sofa.’

‘Exactly! So, let’s leave them alone for now.’

Marion swallowed hard and went back to the sitting room.

‘Goodnight, Marion,’ her mother called through the half-open door. ‘Goodnight, George.’

‘Good night, Maggie. Thank you for tea.’

Marion sat down uneasily beside George. She was still dumbfounded. He had lied to her parents and she hadn’t said a word. She looked down at her folded hands in her lap, at the bruise curling around the bottom of one thumb. The accident had not been caused by a deer. She didn’t know what to say.

George stood up and gestured to the small drinks cupboard. ‘Do you think Robert would mind if I had a wee Scotch?’

She stared at him. ‘Why did you say there was a deer on the road? You know that’s not true.’

He measured a finger of Scotch before answering. ‘Look, Marion, I was embarrassed. I am so sorry about last night. I will never behave like that again. I promise.’ He sat next to her again, his anguished eyes locked on to hers. ‘The evening was not what I had planned at all. I had booked us a table at a smaller place down the road from the pub, but I thought we could pop in to see if Chris was there. You know, have a quick drink with him, wish him a happy new year. He hasn’t been having any luck recently and …’

‘Yes, Evie told me.’

He blinked twice in surprise. ‘Evie told you what?’

‘That Chris had had some trouble with the police?’

Did George relax slightly? ‘Oh, that. That was nothing.’

‘So how has he been unlucky?’

‘A couple of business deals fell through. The bank I work for is trying to help him.’

‘I see.’

‘I didn’t realize how upset he was about it all. He needed to get it all off his chest and I couldn’t just leave him. He kept buying drinks and—’

‘And all the while, you forgot to bring me my drink, and you left me in the midst of strangers. I was grateful to Evie for taking me outside for ten minutes and making me feel less on my own. Did you even notice I wasn’t there? And then I was forced to dance with another man.’