For a long moment, Sister Ruth stood in stunned silence. “Yes, Kate,” she said. “We assumed.”

Kate waited for the Reverend Mother to offer more, but nothing came. She stabbed the blade into the mound of loose soil in frustration. “Good,” she said shortly. “Glad we’ve cleared that up.”

“I don’t think it really needed discussing in the first place, Kate.” Her tone was clear—she had no interest in talking about it.

“Yeah? Well I think it needed to be brought up, and I’m sorry if you don’t like that, but that’s the way I feel.” Her arms trembled with a dissociative mix of exhaustion, anger, and apprehension. “I’m sick of feeling like I need to keep a part of myself hush-hush, as though I’m constantly having to make sure I don’t slip up when the girls ask why I’m not married, or about old boyfriends. Thing is, Sister, I’m so completely respectful of everything you have going on here at St. Joan’s and I think that, considering everything I’ve done for the school this year, it’s only fair that I should be extended the same, simple courtesy.”

With a great, heaving sigh, she patted the shovel against the soil. She picked up her glasses and slid the frames up her nose.

Sister Ruth’s expression was pinched with uncertainty, her lips parted as she struggled to respond. Exhaling harshly, Kate waited. “We respect you very deeply, Kate. It troubles me to think that you believe otherwise. That we treat you differently.”

“You do, though. You do treat me differently.” She paused. “Look, I’m not having a go, but I need to just put it out there, okay?” If she were honest with herself, it had been playing on her mind since her deep and meaningful conversation with Tilly in the backyard of the St. Kilda terrace. “You’re happy to ask Tilly all about her past, but with me, you’d rather just turn a blind eye. You’re always encouraging her to invite the vicar on over but in the nine months I’ve been here you’ve never once said, “Hey, Kate, is there anybody you’d like to have visit for the weekend?”

“We respect you, we respect Tilly, we—”

“I know you do, but…”

“But what?” Sister Ruth implored.

There were so many buts that Kate didn’t even know where to begin. But you just don’t get it, Sister. But by asking me to hide who I am, you’ve given me no option but to set a horrible example for the girls. But you can’t understand how it feels to live like this. But it doesn’t have to be this way. “But I wish you respected Tilly enough to tell her that he’s planning on—”

“Oh, Katherine! What is this about? Your lifestyle? Or Tilly’s engagement?”

Kate swallowed. “What?”

Sister Ruth shook her head. “One moment we’re arguing over the vicar’s plans, and the next you’re asking for my blessing to live a homosexual lifestyle—”

She scoffed. “I’m thirty years old, I’m not asking for your blessing—”