Only Robert knew the truth, as his father and aunt were both long dead. He had told her one night that had his mother been alive she would have sent him abroad to get over his foolishness: how could a jute mill owner’s son have become infatuated with one of the workers? Aunt Euphemia, his mother’s sister, was never told. Thankfully for Ann, those relatives who knew were gone; indeed, until eight days ago, her future had been secure. Even though she had never loved her husband, she had a big house with servants and had felt confident that her past would never be revealed. And she had her two wonderful children. She loved them so much; she would kill to protect them. The relationship she had with them, mother to child, unknown in her childhood, was something they would always remember.

Ann got out of bed and wrapped her shawl around her shoulders. She tiptoed to the window and looked out towards the River Tay. To the east, a pearly light shone through a thick layer of murky grey clouds. Straight ahead was the silhouette of the bridge, at the far end of which was the dark, twisted structure, a reminder of how transient life could be. She stood by the chill of the window and resolved that, whatever had happened to her husband, she would not suffer; she would not put James and Lizzie through what she had gone through as a child, the deprivation and hardship. The three of them would survive. She was proud, but also pragmatic; perhaps she might need to call in some favours. She must ensure the money from the mill continued to come to her, whatever happened. She went back to bed and rang the bell for tea.

* * *

‘Mrs Craig, there is more news this morning,’ Mrs Baxter said, as she served her luncheon in the dining room.

Ann had just placed her fish knife at the head end of the sole, ready to fillet it with a deft hand. She loved doing this in front of her housekeeper – who evidently believed she had had such exquisite table manners all her life.

Ann placed her cutlery down and looked up, expectant.

‘First of all, you might ken this from the newspaper, but there is a court of inquiry beginning today.’

Ann nodded.

‘But the other thing is, you ken how Jessie’s pa has that wee job at the post office? Well, she says that they found a bag with bank notes. Completely intact, you’d never even ken they’d been in the water. How’s that possible?’

Ann shook her head. ‘Some things are too much to comprehend.’

‘So, they’re saying at the post office that yon mailbags they found on the shore might have letters that can still be sent out. Imagine that!’

Ann nodded. ‘Did you hear how many bodies have been recovered today?’