I knew so little about the world of money. We’d never had much, but always enough for the basics of life and so, apart from feeling mildly envious about the luxuries that other girls seemed to prize – large houses, ponies, new clothes, tennis lessons – it never troubled me much. But I knew, from court reports in newspapers, how easily people could get into trouble over money: debts, bankruptcies, lost inheritances, theft. Theft. The word left a metallic taste in the mouth. But who would steal from a church?

8

I passed an anxious night worrying about Kit and hoping he had not been too badly hurt, as well as wondering what excuse I could invent to make contact again without being seen as a bother. Then I had a brainwave: we would write a thank-you letter to the family and deliver it by hand, with a bunch of roses from the garden.

As Jimmy and I passed through the gates, a first-floor casement flew open and Kit’s head appeared, swathed in a large white bandage.

‘Hey there, you two,’ he shouted. ‘You’re a sight for sore eyes. The parents are both out, but the doc said I’ve got concussion and must take it easy for a few days. I’ll come down.’

Despite the bandage and the blue-black shadow on his forehead, he still resembled a Greek god, almost too beautiful to be among us ordinary mortals. Was I already falling in love? No, not yet. That would come later.

‘These are for you and your parents,’ I said. Jimmy thrust forward the roses and I handed Kit the letter. ‘We wanted to thank you for saving him.’ I nudged my brother. ‘Go on, Jimmy. What I told you.’ I’d been coaching him all the way down the hill.

‘Sorry, and thank you,’ he said, clear as anything.

‘I hope your head is mending?’

‘It’s fine,’ Kit said. ‘I woke up with a bit of a headache, but I’ll be right as rain. I won’t have to wear this thing after tomorrow, and the stitches will come out in a week. Honestly, I don’t know why everyone made such a fuss.’

‘You were covered in blood. It was very dramatic.’

‘Yeah. The shirt’s a goner anyway.’

There was a slightly uneasy pause, and I tried to think of something interesting to say. Reluctantly, after a moment, I said, ‘Well, we’d better be going.’

Kit glanced up the drive behind me. ‘Won’t you come in for a bit? I’m under house arrest and as bored as a badger. You won’t believe how pleased I am to have visitors. No one else is at home. My father has gone back to London, and Mother is at one of her endless classes – painting or knitting or keeping fit, whatever it is today – and she’s given Elsie the day off. It’d cheer me up no end.’