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‘I have no s until I can find a position It wouldn’t be fair to Daisy’

‘You can’t go off to London by yourself Look what happened before We’ll cos you had with Mrs Se we can do’

‘Dorcas—’

‘I won’t leave you’ Dorcas sat down on the end of the bed ‘You saved us I’ll get the bags’

Oh, bless her She was too grateful for the support to argue any the door’ Not that there see after her He had probably realised all too clearly what aLord Sethcombe and his family here

She began toher few possessions on the bed She hesitated over the gifts from the Tempest faracious to discard them

Patricia sat stiffly on the bedside cupboard, blue skirts sive me I will talk to her, try to pretend I am back in an innocent childhood—and all the tiers through your hair’ She trailed her hand over the shiny painted scalp ‘I’ll want to hear your voice and there will only be silence’

‘Tess!’ There was a sharp knock on the door panels ‘Dorcas is standing here with your luggage What the devil do you think you are doing?’

She found herself at the door, her hands pressed against the panels, as close to hi, as I said I would Alex, how could you do that? How could you cause such embarrassment for your parents? You told ood terms, and this can only make it far worse’

‘I thought it best to surprise you so you could not refuse to see them’ He sounded tense, but patient ‘He is an oldhihters and let blind prejudice estrange hihter’

‘I a’

‘You will not forgive him, then? Not even for—’