Tilly’s expression hardened as she watched Kate pull down the sleeves of her jumper and begin gathering wood pilings in the crook of her arm. “Can you please just lower your voice? And you should be wearing gloves to do that.”

“I don’t need gloves and he’s deaf and we’re a mile away!”

“The bathroom window is open and his hearing isn’t all that bad. And I can’t go to the convent. The sisters would ask why and…” She hesitated. “They wouldn’t approve,” she said, the words falling from her lips in a rush. “I’ve done this before, with a different person and they…they overreacted.”

Kate threw her hands into the air. “See!”

“He’s harmless!”

“You don’t know that!”

Tilly’s cheeks flushed. “If he sees me leave, he’ll think we don’t trust him, that he’s putting us out!”

“He is putting us out.” Kate reached deeper for the wood. “I don’t care what it looks like, it’s not safe for you to be here.”

“And it’s safe for you just because you’re so strong and masculine?” She rolled her eyes.

“I have a lock on my door.”

Tilly folded her arms across her chest. “You may not care what it looks like for me to leave, but I do.”

“I swear Tilly, I am not kidding about this—fuck!”

She pulled her hand back and examined her finger. She couldn’t see a thing in the dark, but if the stinging throb was anything to go by, the splinter had pierced deeply. And it was thick.

Tilly clicked her tongue. “I told you to wear gloves!” She moved closer.

“Tilly, just bloody back off for a sec. Honestly, you’re doing my head in.”

“I’m sorry,” she said sarcastically. Kate watched her shift from foot to foot, listened as the cogs turned in Tilly’s mind. Here we bloody go… “I’ll say you have a pull-out sofa in your room, that I’m staying in there.”

Kate blinked twice. “What?”

“I’ll say that I can’t expect him to sleep on the lounge and I’ll offer him my bed.” She paused, eyes narrowing. “And you can lock both of us in your bedroom and sleep soundly,” she said.

Kate swallowed. “You know, sarcasm doesn’t look so pretty on you.”

“You know, bigotry doesn’t look so pretty on you.” Tilly’s stare bore into hers, an indelible glint in her eye that drew Kate’s attention like a magnet.

“Fine. Go and get your mother’s jewellery and anything else valuable from your room.”

Tilly fixed her with a glare.

Laden with an armful of wood, Kate swiped the torch from the barrel and pressed it into Tilly’s hands. “Don’t be stupid about this.”

When they returned, Jim was standing by the sink. He met Kate’s eye. “I’m afraid the fire died while you were gone,” he said, sheepish. “I tried to keep it burning but…” He hesitated. “I can leave if you’d prefer it,” he offered. Carefully, he reached for Kate’s cup on the drying rack and smothered the sudsy cup in the “Birds of Australia” tea towel Sister Tessie had gifted Kate all those months ago as a housewarming gift. “I mean, I understand why you wouldn’t want me here. No harm done.”