Pippa rolled off of him, falling back onto the grass, her blonde hair splaying around her like it was blowing in the wind. She was more attractive than some of the other young women that Verity had put up with, with her blue eyes, and cascading curls – but still; Hugh was pretty numb to emotion, wasn’t he? Much like Verity. Between their father and the awful nannies they’d suffered, any real emotion had been bashed out of them over the years. All they had was their love for each other.

Verity rose to her feet.

A warm evening had followed a glorious sunny Sunday, and they’d been lounging around for most of the day, but now Verity felt as if three was a crowd. But she wasn’t the gooseberry, was she? Pippa would soon learn that the bond she and Hugh had was unbreakable.

She grabbed her bright orange rucksack from the blanket she’d been sitting on, and flung it over her shoulder.

Hugh pushed back his dark hair, so like her own, from his face. No longer the skinny sap who peed his pants. He was tall and muscular, his eyes – once a thing of ridicule for the local children – the attraction. Despite the sharpness of his nose, he was beautiful – perfect. ‘You OK, V?’

‘Yep! Fine!’ She stepped away. ‘See you tomorrow.’ They always met Monday lunchtimes. It was their thing.

‘He can’t make tomorrow, Verity,’ Pippa called after her, her tone assertive. Verity swung round. Pippa was stretched full length on the grass next to Hugh now, propped up on her elbows. Slim and tall, she was so different from Verity, who carried too much weight. ‘Hugh and I thought we might go into Bristol for lunch,’ Pippa went on, turning to Hugh. ‘Didn’t we, Hugh?’

Hugh was looking down, fiddling with a blade of grass.

‘Hugh?’ Verity said. ‘Is this true?’

He shrugged, wouldn’t meet her eye.

‘You two can meet up on Tuesday, maybe. I’m seeing a friend that day.’ Pippa paused for a moment. ‘I’m sorry, Verity. But the thing is, Hugh and I need some “us” time, and you’re always hanging about, and …’

Verity turned and shot across the lawn at speed, not wanting to hear any more. She hadn’t cried for years, her heart too hard for that, but tears burned now, raw and painful behind her eyes. This had never happened before.

Back at her lodgings, she flopped down on her bed, and buried her face in the pillow, memories of childhood sweeping in.

She’d always been the strong older sister. Hugh had been the pathetic fragile child. She’d protected him, hadn’t she? Saved him from bullies, punished any nanny who thought they could spank his skinny legs, and so much more. And now – after all she’d done for him – he was about to abandon her. She would never let that happen – never.

*