Love me, ha! You have never loved me, you used me,” he slurred, slumping down the bench

Robert shook his head. “You see, my dear, you have still never quite lost the cadence of the mill worker you are deep inside.” “And you, Robert, have lost none of the priggish arrogance of your privileged background.” She wanted to slap him but clenched her hands together; she must wait.

“Mr Clark was so angry with Janet, he swung his fist at her and she fell and hit her head on the stone floor.

“She . . .” He stopped and snivelled. “She died at once.” Robert was wringing his hands.

“So why did no one know anything of this? Surely it should have been reported?”

“No, nothing was done, according to the sister.” “But, forgive me, Robert, I fail to understand how the body ended up in the Tay Bridge Station mortuary?”

“He threw the body from the back of the house into the Tay in a panic, that afternoon of the fated train crossing.

“The sister watched, terrified, from the window. And so what were identified as injuries inflicted by the rocks on the riverbank were in fact the head injuries poor Janet sustained on her own scullery floor.

“The sister is the only one who saw what happened and she was in a terrible state upon telling me.

“I had to promise her on my children’s lives I would not say anything to the authorities.”

“Robert, that is horrible.”

She looked at his face, trying to see his expression in the darkness.

“But why are you telling me all this?”

Slumped

Robert gave a wide yawn and slumped down a little on the bench. “I speak the truth to you now because I shall explain what is going to happen.

“I shall go to Tasmania in three days’ time. The ship is booked, I have a berth for myself and my two children.”

“How in God’s name do you think you can do that?” “By law they are my children, not yours.”

“You expect me to say nothing at all? Allow you to take my children off to the other side of the world and simply say farewell?”

“Ann, if you do not, the consequences would not be terribly pleasant for you, I fear.

“The little cottage in Glenisla might no longer suit your ladylike constitution – perhaps one of the tenement flats in Lochee might be more appropriate.

Indeed, you could ply your wares on the streets at night.”

She slapped him hard. “How dare you, how dare you.”

He put his hand to his cheek then grasped her hands and drew closer. “I do not imagine your wealthy friends would like to know that you are no more a lady than the whores down at the docks.

“I am drawing up contracts tomorrow regarding the mill and also your finances. I had thought to change ownership of the mill, but I decided last night to keep things as they are, with Johnston in charge. He’s a good man.

“I will be providing you with a generous allowance and leaving you the house and servants. Provided you say nothing malicious, you can invent some tale about being sent for at a future date, as you wish.”

He put his hand up to his mouth to stifle another yawn and she pulled her hands away and reached into her pocket.

She put her other hand onto his coat and started to unbutton it. “Robert, you are my husband, have you no heart?”

She slipped her hand onto his thin silk waistcoat and rubbed his chest where his heart was. “I cannot believe you would deprive me of my children. I love you and . . .”

“Love me, ha! You have never loved me, you used me,” he slurred, slumping further down the bench. His eyes were closing.

“You are so right, Robert Craig, I never have.” She pulled out Mattie’s gift. Now was the time. She removed the long, heavy, sharpened darning needle from its cloth and thrust it once, twice, three times into his heart.

2015

The figure darted off over the road then disappeared. Had she imagined him? Fiona felt tears prick her eyes.

She snivelled and headed back to the line of mourners, where her mother whispered: “You okay?”

Fiona nodded and took up hand-shaking position again.

An hour later, she was doing the rounds of the tables set up for the funeral tea at West Park Hall.

Jamie wanted to sit between Martha and Allie and Fiona had paused to speak to Doug and Mrs C.

As the older woman chomped her way through the sausage rolls, egg sandwiches, ham sandwiches and scones, she said the only thing she’d had different at a funeral – mind you, it was Edinburgh and they’re a bit uppity there – was soup.

“A wee cup of thick pea soup would be perfect on a day like this, what a cold wind. As she stretched across the table to the cakes, she proffered one to Doug. “See, you always get a fruit cake and a sponge with jam. But now they’re going in for those fancier ones, a chocolate brownie or slice of carrot cake.

“Me, I think you can’t get past a fruitcake. And this one’s grand. How about you, Fiona, can you manage a bit? You’ve hardly eaten a thing.”

“I’m off to do the rounds, Mum said we had to try to speak to everyone.”

She went to Martha’s table first. She put her arms round Jamie and he smiled. “Doing okay, sweetheart?”

He nodded and sipped his coke. “Mum, will we still stay at Granny and Pa’s house?”

Fiona and Martha exchanged glances. “I think so, there are no plans to change anything yet. That suit you all right?”

Normality

He nodded. “It’s just, well, Allie says she can take me to the football any time it’s a home game and I’d hate to miss it if we were back up at Glenisla.”

“No worries.” Fiona smiled and gave him a kiss on the top of his head.

“Want us to take him home after?” Martha whispered.

“No, thanks, you’ve been so good to him. We’re going to get fish and chips tonight, just the three of us, then try to get him back into some normality tomorrow.”

“Good idea. But you know, any time we’re not working, we love having him around.”

Fiona took Martha’s hand. “You’re a star. Thanks.” “And don’t send us any more flowers. We don’t need thanking!”

“Will do, boss. Oh, and I’ll be back at work next week if that’s okay?”

“Course. I’ve come to a bit of a standstill in my exhibition work, so got a bit of free time. I thought I’d start looking up that Craig family story in the archives for you. If you want?”

“That would be brilliant, thanks, M. I’m even more keen to find out what it was all about, now Dad’s gone.”

Fiona smiled and walked on.

More tomorrow.