OVER THE NEXT FEW days we heard that the people had split into two groups. About half stayed loyal to Elder Stephen, while the rest followed Brother Ebenezer’s breakaway group. Brother Ebenezer didn’t know which group Rachel and Saul had chosen. ‘They aren’t with my group,’ he said, ‘but they’re not going to Elder Stephen’s services either.’

Rebecca was beside herself. ‘They might have left. They might be out in the world right now and I don’t even know.’

More days passed. Abraham rang each evening to tell us any news from Brother Ebenezer, but nothing was different. Mother still kept to her bed. There was still no sign of Rachel and Saul.

‘Where is she?’ Rebecca asked. ‘Why doesn’t anybody know if they’ve left?’

But I knew why. Rachel and Saul would be staying home, praying for guidance. They wouldn’t welcome other opinions because they would want to be sure they were truly following the will of the Lord. I talked about it with Zillah but we knew it wasn’t any use trying to tell Rebecca. She’d been away from the Faith too long to remember the good things about believing in the Lord, in striving to live a good and godly life.

‘Do you want to go back?’ Zillah asked. ‘Brother Ebenezer would be a good leader. He’d be kind to you.’

She wasn’t anxious about how I’d answer — she didn’t need me now, but it no longer hurt my heart. ‘No, I don’t want to go back. If I did, I’d be like Kirby was when she had to be Esther.’

In October, at the beginning of the last school term for the year, we got another email from Luke, a long one this time.

‘He didn’t say anything about Rachel,’ Zillah said.

Rebecca leapt up to pace the room. ‘I can’t believe he didn’t tell us about her.’ She fired off a text to Daniel. ‘He’s gotta find out for me. I don’t care how he does it — I’ll go crazy if I don’t hear something soon.’

However, before he could discover anything, we got another email from Luke.

Rebecca was still raging when she came to church with us on Sunday. ‘They should’ve just left. Rachel’d love being worldly, once she got used to it. What’s her address, Magdalene? I’ll write to her.’

Before I could think how to tell her it was a bad idea, Zillah said, ‘She won’t read it. She’ll give it to Saul.’

‘And he’ll put it aside until they’re sure they’ve obeyed the will of the Lord,’ I said. ‘You know that, Rebecca. You know what it’s like to love the Lord with all your heart.’

‘And none of your brain,’ our sister said. She was quiet for the rest of the day and every so often she’d wipe her eyes.

I was deeply glad to be in my new life — free, allowed to learn and able to worship the Lord with a joyful heart.

There was much to be joyful about. Daniel and Xanthe came for a weekend in November to talk about their wedding. Jim met them at the airport, and when they walked in the door Luke was with them, his smile the widest I’d ever seen on him.

‘Luke!’ Zillah and I flew at him, crushing him with our hugs. ‘Does Father know you’re here?’

‘He paid my fare,’ Luke said. ‘Not sure how he felt about me coming. He just gave me his blessing and my tickets. He’s very sad these days. Kind of lost, really.’

‘How’s Mother?’ Miriam asked.

‘A bit better. Not quite so shouty. Won’t hear a word against old Stephen, though.’

Zillah looked at me and pulled a face. Mother didn’t sound a whole lot better. If we went back, she’d be preaching at us again before we’d got both feet in the door.

The front doorbell went. ‘That’ll be Ellen and Kirby,’ Nina said.

But it wasn’t. ‘Abraham! Talitha!’ They disappeared in a flurry of hugging.

When Ellen and Kirby arrived, our family was as complete as it was ever going to get.