‘Good.’ Ann sat back from the fire and stretched her neck. ‘I think I should like that hot drink now.’

‘Right you are,’ said Mrs Baxter, bending down to lift the hemline of Ann’s gown. ‘This grosgrain silk is drenched, it doesn’t dry well. You’ll get poorly if you don’t go and change.’

Ann nodded but remained sitting.

Mrs Baxter struggled upright, her hand on her lower back. ‘Mrs Donaldson next door sent her girl Aggie round to see if we needed anything. She heard about it from Billy the gardener when he came back from the evening service.’

Ann didn’t reply, her eyes shut tight, lips moving as if in silent prayer.

‘Mrs Craig, d’you think there was any chance Mr Craig wasn’t on that train?’

Ann sighed deeply and opened her eyes. ‘As you well know, he has taken the four fifteen Edinburgh train for the past six weeks after visiting his aunt in Fife. I cannot see why tonight should have been any different. I do not feel any good can come of this, none at all.’

Ann bit her lip as she considered the future. If the situation was as dire as she presumed, how on earth would she survive without her husband? Without his income?

* * *

Baxter emerged from Whale Lane and crossed over towards the harbour. Noisy crowds had assembled, people shouting at each other over the wind. Baxter pushed his way towards the lights and movement surrounding a large boat that was preparing to leave the harbour. Everyone was clamouring for news, and snippets of it began to reach him.

‘The harbourmaster’s sending out a steamer.’

‘The train’s in the river.’

‘I heard there’s some folk clinging to the piers.’

‘There she goes!’

The powerful steamer moved off through the choppy river. The wind was still severe, though at least the thunder and lightning had ceased. Baxter looked up to a large clock above the harbour building. It was quarter to eleven, three and a half hours since the train had disappeared. Was there still the slightest chance that anyone had survived in those icy black waters?

During the interminable wait, the gale began to subside. Eventually someone shouted, ‘Look! There’s the boat coming back in!’

People in the crowd bellowed questions to the men on board the ship as they threw thick ropes and tied knots round the mooring bollards and soon more rumours began to fly.

‘The wind was too strong, couldn’t get near enough.’

‘The current was against them.’

‘I heard the ship got out there, saw a whole section of the bridge had collapsed.’

‘They tried to look for passengers but there were none.’

‘Everyone’s drowned.’

‘Nobody kens that, my Johnnie’ll be fine.’