She wanted to explain that to the man, to say, He is not dead. We’re going on the Rising Sun to join him, and he’s going to keep us safe. But no words came.

Lily had turned her back to all of them, and crossed to stand before the window.

“The body…” she began. “What did they…?”

With a cough, the man said, “When they are at sea, they have the ceremony there.”

She gave a single nod, and for a stretching moment she said nothing, looking out toward the shining water of the river Clyde, with all its anchored ships and windless sails.

“I’m glad he is not buried,” she said finally. “I am very glad to know he’s in the sea, because the sea is always moving, and I cannot think of Jamie keeping still.”

* * *

“Of course you’ll stay with me,” said Mrs. Reid, and there was no more argument.

It had been very hard the day the drummers had gone all along the shore, beating the call for everyone to board the ships because they were about to sail. And it was even harder two days after that when Maggie stood with Lily, hand in hand upon the pier, and watched the lovely Rising Sun glide off upon the ebb tide down the Clyde toward the open sea.

She said, “We were supposed to go to Caledonia.”

“I know,” said Lily, squeezing Maggie’s hand. “I know we were.”

“That was our ship.” Then, because she could not bear to watch that hopeful golden sunrise on the ship’s stern sailing ever farther from her, Maggie pressed her face hard against Lily’s heart and sobbed, and Lily stroked her hair and held her.

“There will be a ship for us one day,” said Lily, in a soothing voice, “I promise ye.”

“‘You,’” Maggie told her, muffled, and they both smiled.

“All right, then. I promise you, you’ll have another ship.”

“It will not be the Rising Sun.”

“It might be better. Nothing is impossible.”

It was the truth, while they still had each other. And while they had Mrs. Reid, who grew to be like family.

Mrs. Reid taught Maggie how to stitch a perfect seam, and how to set a sleeve, and how to make the smallest, finest tucks to give a garment its desired shape. After a year of learning, she was able to assist in small ways when there was a larger project Mrs. Reid was working on.

But best of all, whenever Mrs. Reid was called up to the Mansion House at Cartsburn, Maggie got to go along to help.

The Mansion House was where the Crawfurds lived—the Baron of Cartsburn and his family—who did own the whole of Crawfurdsdyke. Their house was grand, and set within a garden by the running water of the burn, with trees all round, and the green hills behind.

There were children in the house, which Maggie found exciting. Not that there weren’t children in the houses closer to their own, but Maggie had not found a friend among them. And although sometimes a boarder brought a child along who wished to play, the boarders did not stay beyond a short handful of nights and days and those playmates were soon departed.