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over his eyes. “Poor child. Let him sleep while he may. It would be better if he were never to wake.”

    Emily shot a sidelong glance at their three younger sisters, who were happily engaged in making daisy chains a few feet away. She leaned in toward Caroline until their heads were almost touching. “The gun?” she whispered.

    Caroline bowed her head. “It would have been easier for all of us,” she whispered, “but I did not have the courage.”

    “Teddy knew?”

    “And lied about it to protect me.”

    Emily’s eyes softened. “That is a heavy burden for a young boy to carry. No wonder he is worn-out. I would not wake him for the world.”

    “You are right, though. We will never reach the workhouse tonight.”

    “The weather is still warm.” Emily patted the grass beside her as happily as if it were a soft feather bed. “We can sleep outside on the commons for a night. If we all huddle close together we will keep warm enough.”

    Caroline could still feel the weight of her papa’s gun in her hands. If only she had kept it, hidden it somehow from the creditors and their bailiffs, she would still have the option of setting them all free. But it was too late now. Her courage had deserted her at a crucial juncture, and it was too late for them even if she could muster enough bravery in her soul. By now Papa’s gun would be sold at auction to the highest bidder, and with it had gone any hope of an easy exit from the world. “I should have shot us all while I had the chance.”

    “Do not think such evil thoughts, Caroline. While we are alive, there is hope.” Emily gave a small smile and took Caroline’s hand in hers. “The human spirit is a funny thing. Even now, even though I must sleep in a ditch tonight, cold and wet and hungry, I would not choose to die.” Her eyes were brimming with tears. “I want to live, Caroline. It is selfish of me, I know, but even though I must go to the workhouse and labor for my bread, I want so much to live.”

    Caroline squeezed Emily’s hand in hers. She had no words to tell her sister how much she shared the sentiment. Even now she wanted to live so much that her desire frightened her. She wanted to live and to see Dominic again, to have him look at her with his eyes filled with desire, as he had looked at her that night in the conservatory. “Thank you, Emily. Thank you for sharing the burden with me.”

    She sat on the grass, watching her family with a measure of peace creeping over her soul. Though their father had forsaken them, and the Captain had deserted her, and even Dominic Savage had loved her and left her without a second thought, still she would carry on. Emily had lent her strength to go on when she had none left to draw on. With Emily by her side, the two of them would outface the world and keep their family together.
     
    Emily was right. While there was life, there was still hope. A faint and weak hope it might be, but it was still there to light up the darkness of her world.

     

    Her newfound determination lasted her through the whole of the long, exhausting day of endless walking. Despite their best efforts, by the time night fell they had walked little more than half the distance they needed to go.
     
    Caroline was exhausted from her efforts to keep up the spirits of the younger ones, encouraging and cajoling them to keep on walking when they faltered, entertaining them with stories of when they were little, and holding out the promise of hot food and a warm bed to lie in when they finally reached their destination.

    As they were crossing a patch of common land, it was Louisa who finally called a halt to their journey by dropping to the ground in a dead faint. Beatrice gave a cry of alarm and sank down on her knees next to her, cradling Louisa’s head in her lap.
     
    It was only a moment before Louisa sat up again, her face a picture of bewilderment, but Caroline died a thousand deaths in that moment. Her sisters were young, and