Mary Kate felt weak with relief. She wouldn’t have to lie to her family and, despite her chequered history with her stepmother, when it came down to it, Rosie had her back.

‘Welcome home, Mary Kate,’ Rosie said and for the first time ever, there was a connection between the two women. The old animosity, the lack of eye contact, the avoidance of conversation that had dogged their relationship since the death of Sarah, it was all gone. ‘All that matters is you and that you are here.’

Mary Kate looked to her father. ‘Da, how did you know?’ she asked quietly.

He put his hand on her back and squeezed her shoulder. ‘I tried to phone you in Liverpool and I ended up speaking to a Dr William, who told me your man had died and that you were very upset.’

‘Does Granny Nola…?’ Her words tailed off.

‘No.’ Michael’s response was swift. ‘They don’t need to know and it’s better that they don’t.’

The burden of shame and guilt Mary Kate had been carrying began to lighten. Nola and Seamus would never be able to understand. Her eyes were still wet and bright as she looked at Rosie. Her stepmother knew she’d been living in sin with another woman’s husband and yet here she was, holding her hand and not judging her or wanting the priest to run her out of the village.

‘You will be all right, you will,’ said Rosie. ‘Nothing can make time pass any faster than it does, but all you can do is wait for the days to go by, and as they do, each one will get easier to bear. You are such a young woman, with your whole life ahead of you.’

‘I loved him Rosie, with all my heart.’

Rosie was close to tears herself; Mary Kate’s grief was so raw. ‘I know,’ she whispered, then changed the subject. ‘Wait until Finn knows you’re here. I’ll keep him at Keeva and Tig’s tonight so that you can have his bed and then we’ll sort things in the morning.’

‘I won’t be able to stay on here, though, will I? Peggy’s in my room.’ Despite trying not to, Mary Kate did sound affronted.

Michael smacked his hand to his forehead. ‘I’d clean forgot. You are staying here – I’ll sleep on the floor if I have to.’

‘No. I’ll stay tonight, but then tomorrow I’ll go up to the farm.’

‘You can’t,’ said Michael, looking stricken. ‘Joe lives there now. Nola wouldn’t be comfortable with you staying in the house with a single man.’

Before Mary Kate could take it all in, Bee piped up. ‘Michael, she can have Angela’s cottage if she wants it. If that’s all right with you? It is hers, after all, and it’s clean and waiting there with no one in it. It just needs a fresh pair of sheets on the bed and a good airing. It will give Mary Kate the privacy she probably needs just now, and a bit of distance from the village. Besides, the sea air will be good for her. It won’t take us long to get it right.’