She picked up the binoculars and focused them on the doctor, who was wearing a dark brown frock coat and his mustard-yellow waistcoat. He ambled along, Bridie the dog scampering alongside. Robert was not even relaxed with dogs. One time Bridie had rushed into the Donaldsons’ drawing room and Robert was aghast, with no idea how to react. It was she who ran to grab the dog’s collar and dragged it to sit in front of her, taking the dog’s head between her knees. She fondled its soft snout until an anguished servant arrived, apologetic and red-faced. Archibald and she had laughed as Margaret abjectly apologised, while Robert simpered in the corner.

Ann looked through the binoculars at the doctor’s face, trying to see more closely those kind eyes, that rugged appearance. He was so very different from Margaret, with her dull complexion and tiny, bird-like eyes.

She soon became aware that he too was looking up at her window and waving. Goodness, what must she look like, examining him through the glasses? She hurried to replace the binoculars on the table and gave a little wave before retreating towards the fireplace to pick up her fan; she had become hot all of a sudden.

Ann left the drawing room and headed for Robert’s study. She whirled the large globe on Robert’s desk and clapped her hand down to stop it at Australia. She peered at the vastness of the territories. There was Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland… Why would Robert have been discussing Australia with his son and telling him he knew someone who had gone there? Both the occurrence of a father-and-son discussion and the subject were most unusual. Perhaps James was confused and the talk about overseas dominions had in fact taken place with Miss Graham. It seemed more likely since she often carried the globe into the nursery for geography lessons.

Ann turned to see Jessie standing at the open door. She bobbed and stretched out a silver tray upon which was a letter.

‘I was led to believe there was no postal delivery until tomorrow?’

‘There is not, Mrs Craig, but Mrs Baxter said this was handed in at the door the now.’

Ann lifted the letter from the tray and headed for the drawing room. ‘Thank you, Jessie. That will be all.’

She returned next door and sat at the window seat, glancing down at the two kites billowing about in the breeze. The doctor was standing with his back to her, surveying the scene before him and the vast breadth of river. She looked beyond, to the wide gap in the iron structure where the rail bridge had collapsed.

She lifted up a paper knife from the table and slit open the envelope.

Dear Mrs Craig, I do hope this finds you as well as can be expected.