The surgeon stepped out, his face grey and looking exhausted. Six hours had elapsed. He stood and looked at the sea of anxious faces, Bianca in her lover’s arms, clutching him tightly, almost afraid to breathe.

The surgeon smiled tiredly.

“ It went off well. St Just’s out of surgery.”

Disregarding the look of horror on his face, O’Grady strode over and enfolded the man in a bear hug.

Bianca was sobbing in relief, her arms around Rani and Serena as she wept in abandon.

They helped her to sit down, and she held her face in her hands, saying over and over again,

‘Thank you, God, thank you…!”

Rani...