“You’re a very beautiful boy, aren’t you?” Tilly asked.

“The only boy on this side of the island. And I think it’s safe to say he likes your nails.” Her own were blunter than Sister Mary Monica’s manner.

With one last rake of her fingers over Lockie’s head, Tilly turned back to the van.

“I can get your bags,” Kate offered.

“No, I can get them.”

As Tilly’s fingers beat her to curl around the handle of the nearest suitcase, Kate’s gaze caught on the ring on Tilly’s left hand. She paused, an uncomfortable weight settling in her chest. Tilly’s eyes were on her face—she could feel it. “Let go,” Kate implored, playfully swatting at Tilly’s wrist.

When Kate had both bags on the ground, Tilly lifted the handles and began rolling the cases in the direction of the convent garden.

“Tilly?”

She turned.

“You’re actually staying in the cottage with me.”

“Oh.” Tilly’s gaze flickered to the small, sandstone building Kate called home, then to Sister Ruth. “I assumed I’d be sleeping in the convent. I did when I taught here years ago.”

Kate frowned. “You’ve taught here before?” Why hadn’t the sisters mentioned that?

“Only as a temp.” Her gaze darted across the driveway to the sisters in the garden, discarding their gloves and rakes as they made their way to greet her. “Just for a month,” she said distractedly.

“We can set up a spare room in the convent if you’d prefer,” Sister Ruth offered, but Kate was already taking a handle from Tilly and wheeling the case toward the cottage.

Tilly glanced at Kate, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.

Kate wet her lips. “It’s no trouble if you’d rather stay with the sisters. Truly.”

“No, no.” Tilly hiked her cabin bag higher onto her shoulder. “The cottage is just fine.”

In the convent kitchen, introductions were made between Tilly and young Sister Ellie, the only one of the four sisters that Tilly didn’t know. Of all the sisters, Kate got along with Sister Ellie best. A novice, Sister Ellie was a few inches taller than Kate, a stocky twenty-seven-year-old French and Food Technology teacher with the laugh of Elmo and a smile that wouldn’t quit. “And your trip down to Mornington with the vicar?” Sister Ellie asked as she nibbled at a butter snap biscuit, the golden crumbs raining down on her apron. “How was that?”

With her back to Tilly and the sisters, Kate rolled her eyes as she reached into the cupboard for six cups.

“Well, he has two little ones,” Tilly started. “The youngest, she suffers from motion sickness. Thank goodness that it’s just over an hour from Melbourne to Mornington. I sat in the back with her for the entire drive. Poor little thing.”

“Oh, no,” Sister Ellie said, and Kate fought against a grin. Although the sympathy in her voice sounded genuine, Kate guessed that the woes of a car sick kid wasn’t what Sister Ellie had been fishing for.