Mary frowned. She’d skipped over the passages that weren’t about Colin and his mother and father. “That can’t be right,” she said uncertainly. Despite the night before, it was hard to change the thinking of a lifetime. “My mother didn’t want me anywhere near her. She certainly wasn’t proud of me.” But for the first time, the words sounded slightly automatic—as if they were words she was repeating because they were what she always said, rather than words she meant.

She changed the subject. It was Colin who was important. “Look, here’s a bit about you. I’m so pleased Colin is making you laugh so. A whole day pretending to be a dog. What a delight he is! Archie sounds as if he loves him dearly. I’m just as besotted with Mary.” Her voice slowed as she realized what she had just read out.

“My father doesn’t love me,” said Colin, shaking his head. “If he loved me, he wouldn’t give me medicine I don’t need, and keep me shut in my room, and he would come and see me.”

Dickon shrugged. “Folk act in strange ways when they’re hurting. Just like animals.”

Mary thought about when Hector had been injured and had snapped at her because he had been in such incredible pain.

“Loss changes people,” Dickon went on. “Why, even your mother, Mary. It’s clear from those letters she loved you, even if you think different.”

“You don’t know what my mother was like,” Mary said.

“No.” Dickon paused. “But I know what it’s like to lose someone.”

They were all silent for a few minutes. Colin broke the silence by reading out another passage. “Listen to this: She reminds me so much of you in the way she looks and the way she acts, Grace. She makes stories up all the time and loves to put on puppet shows. She did one for me the night before last all about an Indian myth. It was a very elaborate affair indeed. Poor Ayah had to make some silk curtains for it! I love to watch her and listen to her tales.”

Mary could hardly believe it. “She wrote she liked my plays?”

Colin nodded. “So are you sure your mother hated you, Mary? Quite sure?” he said, handing her the letter.