‘At Fairlawn? With Robert Aldridge?’ Julia asked. I did not want to tell her the truth, that Daniel was going to sneak away from the party to meet me in the darkness of the garden. So instead I said cheerfully: ‘Why not?’ ‘Does Robert know you live with me?’ I perched on the arm of the settee beside her and took her hand. ‘Yes.’ ‘Then don’t go, Amy. Robert won’t welcome you into his house.’ ‘Daniel told me the whole village was invited. And anyway, Mr Aldridge could hardly make a scene at his own party on Christmas Eve in front of all his guests.’ ‘If he’d had enough to drink he could.’ ‘What does he have against your family?’ Julia said nothing. ‘Is it something to do with Caroline?’ Julia nodded. She looked down. A tear spilled out of her eye and dropped on to the back of her hand. ‘Oh Julia,’ I asked, ‘what did she do?’ The clock ticked and a cloud shadowed her face but then she shook it off. ‘I wasn’t here,’ she said. ‘I was in Weston.
