“Goodness, how pale you look, miss. Yes, they left me an address to pass on the post. He moved in with his sister, you see. I’ll find it for you, if you’ll give me five minutes, but won’t you come in and have a glass of water, dear? You look like you’ve see a ghost.”

THERE ARE PAINTINGS of gloomy Victorian children all over the walls of this sitting room. Red-faced infants shed great glassy tears and milkmaids sob over spilled milk. Edie had braced herself to walk into a house full of polished leather and brass, compasses, binoculars, and military bearing. She is rather thrown by the inconsolable children, the packs of porcelain pug dogs, and all the cushions embroidered with Bible quotes. She moves THOU SHALT BE SAVED aside, and takes the offered place on the sofa.

As she watches the woman working her way through the writing bureau, Edie considers why Harry had chosen to tell her that lie. Why did he need her to think that Captain Rose was dead? Why had he blocked the possibility of her speaking with him before? She can only assume that Harry doesn’t want her to know the parts of the story that were missing from Rose’s letter. But what significance does that have? What more can Rose tell her?

“Do forgive my mess. How embarrassing. I do know that it’s in here somewhere.”

“No, I’m sorry for barging into your house uninvited. It’s very kind of you to make the time.”

While she sips the glass of water, she pictures a series of scenes in which Francis moves from dressing station, to hospital, to recuperation, to—where? She imagines the chain of decisions that have gone through Francis’s head, resulting in his making a choice not to come home. Is he so convinced that she has wronged him? Is he still angry at her? Did he simply decide that there was nothing to salvage? Has he made another life? Found another wife?

“Only my husband rearranges my papers and never thinks to put anything back where he found it. It’s like sport to him, like it must always be hide-and-seek. Is that men in general, do you think?”

“I couldn’t say.”