Ben folded his arms on the table, and laid down his head, and closed his eyes, and didn’t move. He knew that it was hopeless, and that Clara and Captain de Beauchesne and the Reverend Mother had all been right.

Early on Friday, they said goodbye to the mission house sisters and took the train back to the convent, sitting side by side in an empty compartment with Ben’s misery hanging over them like a rain cloud waiting to explode, and Lotti wondered hopelessly, Oh, what are we going to do?

Sister Marianne had telegrammed ahead, and Clara and Sister Monique came to meet them at the St Matthieu station in the convent pony cart. Ben shrank away when Clara tried to hug him. She looked at Lotti, who just shook her head.

“I am very afraid,” Lotti whispered, “that he is going to break.”

At the convent, Ben made straight for the Sparrowhawk, where he crept into Nathan’s workshop and knelt on the floor by Elsie’s crate.

“We didn’t find him, Elsie. I’m sorry. We didn’t find him.”

Gently, Elsie shook away her puppies and climbed out of the crate into his lap. Ben put his arms round her and at last, very quietly, began to cry.

Clara and Lotti sat on the roof with Federico, understanding his need for privacy but wanting to stay close.

“Albert Skinner is in Paris,” Clara murmured. “Captain de Beauchesne sent a telegram.”

“Skinner!” Lotti’s heart skipped a beat, then she frowned, confused. “What’s he doing in Paris?”

“I don’t really understand either,” admitted Clara. “I think Henri—I mean Captain de Beauchesne—arranged it with Madame Royère. In his telegram he says he’s trying to deflect him but Lotti, I do think we should go back to England, and the sooner the better really—in the morning. We’ll leave the puppies here and take the Sparrowhawk to a boatyard to fix that awful rattling, and then we’ll get the train home and I will explain to your uncle …”

“Oh, don’t talk about my uncle!” Lotti covered her ears with her hands. “It makes me feel sick.”

“Darling, I know you don’t want to go, and I understand, but I promise, when we get back to England, I will do everything I can to help you …”

“You want to adopt Ben,” said Lotti, accusingly. “Not just help him. You said, when you found us in Calais.”

“I … Lotti, have you been angry with me all this time?”

“Yes!” said Lotti. “Mostly I’ve been thinking about Ben, and about … other things. But yes, it did hurt, Clara.”

“But how can I adopt you, darling, when you have a family already? I promise you this though, I will look after Federico, and I’ll visit you at school as often as I’m allowed. I don’t want you to feel alone again, ever.”