Suzie stared at him. ‘Good God, Felix, we all have doubts! I gave my father the benefit of the doubt for years, always trying to please him, kidding myself that he was a good man really, and it was other people that pushed him over the edge.’ Seeing the platform emptying, she threw her hands up in an exasperated fashion. ‘You can’t hang someone for having second thoughts. You need to be sure in life – no wonder she had insecurities, just look at what she’s been through!’ She hesitated. ‘Only you’re here, so you must be going to Glasfryn …’

Felix pulled a rueful face. ‘I’m afraid not …’

‘Why on earth not?’ squeaked Suzie. ‘Didn’t you hear a word I’ve just said?’

He nodded. ‘I’m here for the Lincoln train. It was due in over an hour ago, but what with the war and Christmas and everything, the railways are pretty shocking when it comes to timekeeping.’

Suzie gave him a blank stare. ‘I never took you for a fool …’ She hesitated as she saw Charlie appear in her line of sight. ‘I’ve got to go, but you’ll do well to remember that only a fool cuts his nose off to spite his face, and that’s what you’ll be doing if you let Roz slip through your fingers.’

CHAPTER TEN

It was Christmas Day, and Roz, unable to sleep, looked out of the bedroom window at the thick snow which was falling was so fast it had already covered the ground outside. When she had arrived at Glasfryn some days previously, the first question on everyone’s lips had been, where was Felix?

She had had no other option than to tell them the truth.

‘Oh dear,’ said Heulwyn, ‘what a tangled web!’

‘I wish I’d kept out of it,’ Roz had agreed miserably.

‘At least it wasn’t in vain,’ said Mabel reassuringly, ‘because if it wasn’t for you, Suzie might never have made up with her mam.’

‘That’s the only thing that makes this whole thing bearable,’ said Roz wretchedly. ‘I just wish Felix would see things the way you do.’

‘He will,’ said Heulwyn. ‘He’s a grand lad is your Felix, and he worships the ground you walk on. His pride’s taken a bit of a knock but it’ll heal.’

This conversation had taken place just after she’d arrived on the farm, and Roz had hoped that Felix would appear at the door to the cottage full of forgiveness and everything would go back to how it was before the incident at Lime Street Station. But as the days had rolled by, her hope faded.

Now, as she watched the snow whirl around in little eddies, she held the small bar of Lifebuoy soap, which she had bought Felix as a Christmas present, up to her nose and gave it a tentative sniff. Given the circumstances, it may have seemed silly for her to wish that Felix would turn up for Christmas, but she couldn’t help hoping, even now, that he would appear. She turned to see Mabel shuffling over, her eiderdown wrapped around her shoulders as she joined Roz by the window.