So was Peggy, but she said nothing as she bustled about getting the rabbit stew warmed for when they got home. It was a foul night, and what was needed now was a hot meal and drinks and the sanctuary of home. But Sarah had a lot of explaining to do before the night was out.

Sarah was all too aware that she had a great deal to explain when she got back to Beach View, and as there was no way of avoiding it, she steeled herself against Cordelia’s disapproval and Peggy’s anger.

She sat next to Rita in the soft leather seats of the enormous staff car as Ron sat in the front, chatting to the driver, who was inching the car along the main road into Cliffehaven. She was at last warm and out of pain from her fixed dislocated shoulder and wrenched ankle, thanks to the hot cocoa laced with brandy and the strong pills the American medic had given her, but the shock of the accident still made her tremble and shiver.

It had all happened so fast. One minute she was riding pillion behind Rita, the next she was flung into the air, landing with an enormous thud onto the verge, the motorbike crashing over her on its way into the ditch. Sarah was very aware of how lucky they’d been, and the thought of what might have happened made her feel quite ill.

She stared out at the luminous grey of the night’s fog which enveloped everything around the crawling car, masking landmarks and wiping away all sense of direction. She wasn’t in the habit of telling lies, or being secretive, but this solitary lapse had taught her a very sobering lesson, and she vowed silently she’d never do it again.

‘You’re going to have to tell Aunt Peggy,’ murmured Rita, who’d been divested of her leather trousers and was now wearing American army camouflage over the heavy bandaging on her badly twisted knee.

‘I know,’ sighed Sarah. ‘And I’m really not looking forward to it. I love her so, and hate the thought of losing her respect.’

‘She’ll be all right once she’s calmed down,’ soothed Rita. ‘She’s bound to be cross with both of us, but we both know her bark is worse than her bite and it never lasts very long.’ She grimaced as she tried to get her leg into a more comfortable position. ‘I’m just sorry we’ve put her through all that worry. She frets enough over us all, and must have been going through torture tonight, running round trying to find us.’

Sarah nodded, her low spirits ebbing further. ‘I feel terrible about adding to her fears, and horribly guilty about what I did today.’