Thanking the policeman, she spoke hastily to Felix as the train pulled into the platform. I’ll be brief. ‘Bernie told me what happened. All I can do is apologise. I was so jealous of Roz, and I blamed her for everything.’ She shook her head impatiently. ‘I haven’t got time to explain why, but I set out to destroy everything she had, and I can see I succeeded, because you’re still here, yet you should be in Glasfryn with Roz.’ She heaved a heartfelt sigh. ‘I’m going to make this right. I don’t know how, but I am.’

He shrugged. ‘You were only the messenger; everything you said was true, you just went about it in a spiteful manner.’

Suzie shook her head fervently. ‘If it hadn’t been for me, Roz would never—’

‘Roz doubted her feelings for me,’ said Felix plainly. ‘That had nothing to do with you, and that’s the part that hurt the most.’

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.