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she told him as they walked on again. ‘I told you the truth, but remember, as your aunts keep saying, I’m only seventeen. I do like you an awful lot, more than anybody I’ve met yet, and maybe I will fall in love with you and marry you … some day.’
    â€˜What about the rich man you’re looking for?’ he sneered.
    â€˜If I meet one and he asks me to marry him, I’ll say yes. You see, Andrew, I never had any money to spend, that’s why –’ Her hand flew to her mouth, but after a moment, she went on, ‘I may as well tell you.’
    For the very first time, she confessed to being a thief, and was most surprised when Andrew said, ‘Not many young girls would have denied the temptation when confronted by a heap of sovereigns like that; most of them would have taken the lot. But tell me, what did you spend them on? What did you reward yourself with as a counter-effect to your guilt?’
    She drew a deep breath. ‘Do you know something, Andrew? I never did feel truly guilty. I thought it served Mr Moodie right for leaving his cash lying about, and all I bought was the railway ticket to Aberdeen. I still have four pounds, nineteen shillings and a few coppers left. Now, how does your love stand up to what I did?’
    Coming to an abrupt halt, he grabbed her by the arms and turned her round to face him. ‘I don’t condone it, Marianne, but my love for you is strong enough to withstand any sin you care to commit. Don’t forget that, do you hear? Even if our paths diverge in the future, any time you are in trouble, you have only to come to me. I will always be there for you.’
    Feeling humbled, tears came to her eyes. ‘Andrew, I’m all mixed up. When you say things like that my heart aches with what I suppose is love, and I want you to kiss me, but you won’t want to …’
    â€˜I’ll always want to, my darling.’ His kiss was tender, a pledge of undying devotion. ‘I’ve been a fool tonight. I shouldn’t have said anything; it was much too soon. You must wipe it from your mind and not let it spoil the close companionship we had before.’
    When they reached Strawberry Bank, his aunts wanted to know how their evening had gone, and only Miss Edith saw the shadows in Andrew’s eyes, the heightened colour in Marianne’s cheeks, as they described the four-piece ensemble which had provided the music for the more sedate dances, and the three students who had volunteered to play, with gusto, for the others. At last, putting an end to the questions still being asked by her sisters, she shooed the young man away and ordered the girl to bed.
    â€˜Something went wrong,’ she whispered to Miss Esther when Miss Emily had also gone upstairs. ‘Something they kept from us.’
    Miss Esther frowned. ‘They said they had a marvellous time.’
    â€˜Yes, and maybe they did, most of the time,’ Miss Edith nodded, ‘but they were definitely holding something back.’
    Her sister eyed her thoughtfully. ‘Would it have been the crinoline? Remember the trouble you had with it?’
    Miss Edith smiled triumphantly. ‘That’s it! Marianne must have had trouble sitting down. I just hope she was not as bad as I was – even my drawers were in full view, if you recall.’
    â€˜They would have been embarrassed, but they would have got over it quickly. I’m sure they enjoyed themselves as much as they said.’
    Marianne heard the murmur of their voices as they said good night and went into their separate rooms, but she knew that she wouldn’t sleep. How could she, after what had been said earlier? It was all very well for Andrew to tell her to put it out of her mind, but she’d been cruel to him, hurt him badly, yet, in spite of that and the theft she had confessed to, he still swore that he loved her, would love her for ever. How could anybody love like that? If he