Beatrice stood in her kitchen plaiting a section of her hair behind her left ear, going mainly by feel. She secured the end with the small hairband she had between her teeth, and was halfway through doing the same on the other side when Ella clattered in through the back door after her run, Madeleine the music prefect in tow.

'Found a waif'n'stray hopping about, trying to get in your blocked front door, Bea.'

Bea smiled at them both. 'Morning, Maddy. Have a seat, I won't be long.'

She liked the early-morning-confident version of Ella. Glancing over her friend, noticing the tight top and shorts and the sweat glistening on her toned body and thighs, Beatrice felt a tiny, unexpected, and entirely inappropriate, flicker of new interest. She secured the second plait and pulled at the sides to loosen it.

Madeleine perched on a chair and glanced over Beatrice approvingly. 'Nice dress, Miss.'

'Thanks.' Beatrice held one of her plaits in place across her head like a headband and fumbled on the worktop for a hairpin. 'There's tea in the pot, help yourself. Might be a bit stewed by now, though.'

'Want a hand, Bea?' Ella stepped forward and took up a couple of pins. 'What is it you're trying to do?'

Beatrice explained how she needed the plaits to cross over and form a headband from her own hair, and Ella leant in close to pin one plait gently in place near the opposite ear. Beatrice didn't quite know what to do with her hands so smoothed the skirt of her dress, accidentally brushing Ella's thigh with the back of her hand. Ella's smooth skin was hot and slick with sweat. Beatrice approved, despite herself.

Raphaela slipped, unprepared for Bea's touch. She accidentally stabbed the hairpin into Bea's scalp.

They both apologised at the same time. Beatrice crossed her arms and stood still while Ella finished pinning the plaits in place; gently burying her hands in Bea's remaining loose hair, Ella settled it around her friend's shoulders, then stepped back. 'Looking good, Bea.' She flicked her eyes over Beatrice's face carefully, especially her eyes and lips. 'Make-up, too. Seeing a whole new side to you this weekend.'

Beatrice smiled shyly as she took up a small pair of treble-clef-shaped earrings from the side and began putting them in. 'Do you want breakfast?' She nodded to the packet of bacon she'd taken out of the fridge.

'Shower first. I stink.' Ella grinned at them both and made to go up the stairs in the corner of the kitchen, gesturing at Madeleine. 'This one looks like she needs feeding up, though.'

'Have you actually had breakfast, Maddy? With the kitchens being closed this morning?'

The girl waggled a hand. 'Just an apple.' She glanced at the clock on Beatrice's oven. 'Didn't you want to get going, Miss? You said to call by and collect you by 9 o'clock...'

Ella tutted. 'You've got time for a bacon and egg sandwich. You can't be responsible for Miss Sullivan here on an empty stomach, it's too much. She's hard work, you know. It's barely ten-to anyway.' She started up the stairs two at a time. 'I won't be long, Bea, so put some on for me too. Cheers.'

Beatrice grinned at Ella's back, then at Madeleine. 'Really, we just need to print off the programmes. I won't do more than ten minutes warm-up.'

'Did the programmes last night, Miss Sullivan. They're in the chapel already, just waiting to be put out in the pews.' She smiled awkwardly. 'I added my name, like you said.'

'You are good, Madeleine. You did a good job on the notes, so it's only fair people know about it. I was thinking about swapping one of the pieces for the one Sister F liked last night, but if you've already printed them, that's fine. We'll stick with what we've got and not waste paper.' Beatrice turned and pulled the grill pan from the oven. 'That also means we really do have plenty of time. Now, make yourself even more useful and get a fresh pot of tea going.'

*****

Raphaela perched awkwardly on a windowsill, wine glass in one hand and the other holding her hair back from her face, as she bent in eagerly to talk to Sister Mary-Martha in her wheelchair.

Beatrice smiled to herself at how amiably the two were chatting, and glanced around the still-crowded refectory, where current and former staff and ex-pupils from the last thirty years were milling and talking after the excellent lunch the kitchens had put on. Just like herself, Ella and Susie, she imagined that everybody here each had their own reasons to be grateful to, and fond of, Sister Francesca, so it felt right that there was a good crowd here to mark her retirement.

She felt relieved, too, because her recital that morning had gone without a hitch – indeed, she'd rather enjoyed it once she'd started playing and could feel the sound of the organ fill the chapel; there'd been a good audience, the chapel had been full, and she'd also enjoyed sensing the unmistakable atmosphere of about two hundred and fifty pairs of ears listening attentively. Several people had congratulated her afterwards, including the family of an old girl who'd made a significant donation to the restoration of the organ – so that was good. She'd been able to show off how well-spent the money had been.

The reception and lunch afterwards had been very pleasant. Sister Francesca had mentioned her in her speech – welcoming her and thanking her for playing again, as well as looking forward to a new chapter in the chapel's music – and the round of applause she'd received, with the memory of the recital still fresh in most people's minds, had been almost as gratifying as the one in the chapel itself. She wasn't generally immodest, but she had put in a lot of practice for this, and it was important to her that her own small contribution to Sister Francesca's official retirement day be as perfect as possible. It was not only a relief but secretly rather nice to know that others had appreciated it.

And Susie had set off extra early to make the recital, which meant a lot more to Beatrice than most of the rest of it – she'd seen her slip in at the back to sit with Ella, while Sister Francesca was introducing the event.

Beatrice wandered over to where Madeleine and another prefect were gathering empty glasses together ready to take them through to the kitchens. She was just starting to give them a hand when she caught sight of Susie's distinctive ginger hair moving through the crowd across the room. She was scanning the room with a frown. She looked in Beatrice's direction and caught her eye, changing tack to approach while excusing herself from the person who'd just started talking to her.

'Bea, have you got a phone on you?'

Bea patted her jacket pocket. 'Yes. Why?'

'Great. I need Raffy as well, where is she?'

Beatrice pointed with her phone, which she was in the process of turning on, to where their friend was laughing with the elderly Sister Mary-Martha. 'What's the matter?' She glanced at her friend's serious expression. 'Are you in doctor mode?'

Susie didn't answer directly, but looked at the two prefects. 'Can one of you run down to my car? It's outside Bea's...I mean, Miss Sullivan's cottage. I need the black case from the boot.'

The one who wasn't Madeleine nodded. 'I'll go.'

'Great, thanks,' Susie handed her a set of keys. 'Grey Volkswagen.' She caught the girl's arm before she could move off, and drew all three of them into a huddle. 'There's a guy who was across from me at lunch, someone-or-other's husband...I thought he looked a bit peaky. When I spotted him just now, he seemed to be heading outside for some air, and he looked rough as shit.'

Beatrice glanced at the two prefects, who were now a bit wide-eyed. 'Dr McDonald was in my year...'

'Yeah, sorry, girls. Hi.' Susie lowered her voice, despite the fact that no-one was particularly close by. 'Frankly, I think this guy's going into cardiac arrest. But we need to keep things a bit discreet, so as not to spoil Sister F's big day, you know?' She kept her voice calm, and patted the arm of the prefect with her car keys. 'So, black bag from my boot. It should have my stethoscope and a first aid kit in it. Quick as you can, please.'

She watched the girl slip away from the room, and turned to Madeleine. 'Can you go and detach Raffy from Sister MM's clutches and get her to meet us on the terrace? She should be first-aid-trained, what with her sports coaching and that, and I might need her if the guy goes over, because I'm in no state to be pumping chests.' She patted her six-month bump. 'Then see if you can get some aspirin off Matron for me. If you can't, don't worry, I should have some in my bag but you might be quicker. After that, station yourself on the main drive and direct the ambulance Bea is about to ring for round to the terrace? OK? Thanks'. She patted Madeleine's arm as the girl nodded and made off towards where Ella was laughing with Sister Mary-Martha.

'Bea, can you ring 999 now and get the ambulance on its way?' She took Beatrice's arm and started leading her out towards the terrace. 'They keep you on the line usually until it arrives and I'm probably going to be otherwise occupied, so I'm going to need you to do it for me. Hopefully I've spotted the symptoms early enough to do something about it, and we can sort him out without causing too much of a fuss.'

****

On the terrace, the air was thick and humid, threatening a storm. Beatrice was talking to Sister Francesca, commending the girl who'd run to retrieve Susie's bag from her car. The girl herself, who'd hovered throughout just in case she was needed, had gone back inside with the new headmistress, to help reassure the other guests that everything was under control. Raphaela was leaning on the wall of the refectory slowly rotating her shoulders to ease the strain of having had to cradle the ill man, while Susie had managed to keep him conscious in the twenty minutes or so it had taken the ambulance to attend.

The ambulance had finally left about ten minutes previously with the patient and his wife, and although the commotion had inevitably attracted some attention, Beatrice thought that Sister Francesca and the new headmistress had done well to play it down.

'Well, Beatrice,' said Sister Francesca kindly, leading her back towards Raphaela, but stopping a few feet short. 'I would like to thank you for the piece you performed of your own devising . Ave Maris Stella is a hymn I have always particularly liked...' 

'Yes, Sister. I know. That's why I chose it.'

Sister Francesca touched Beatrice's arm, and held her eye in a shrewd gaze for a moment. 'Thank you, Beatrice.' She moved off again, drawing Beatrice with her. 'Now, I know you are hosting your two friends tonight, and you'll no doubt wish to get back to the cottage before the weather breaks.' She glanced up at the sky. 'I fear we are in for a storm.' She smiled at Raphaela, bringing her in to the conversation. 'Thank you both for your help here. I shall go back inside and lead a short prayer for the poor man, before bringing things to a close.' She looked around. 'I can't see Susannah, otherwise I would thank her personally for acting so quickly as regards that poor man...how gratifying to know you've all turned out so well.' She leant in briefly, as if to include both younger women in a conspiracy. 'Between you and me, Beatrice, Raphaela, your year was always one of my favourites, and I obviously remember the three of you in particular. It's been lovely to see you back here together.' She reached out and squeezed their arms quickly.

Raphaela nodded and looked down. 'Sorry it's turned out like this on your big day, Sister.' She glanced back up at the elderly nun, and Beatrice was surprised to see her friend looking quite deeply moved. 'Bea and I were talking last night...we're very grateful for all your support when we were here. You'll be a sad loss to the school.'

'Shhh, but thank you.' Sister Francesca reached out and squeezed Ella's shoulder, then when she saw her expression moved to rest her hand briefly on her head in a gesture of blessing. 'It's time for a change, a younger and more energetic pair of hands.' She re-clasped her crucifix and smiled at them both. 'It really is lovely to have you here today, and to see how well you've all done in life so far, and that in itself is thanks enough. Now, go and find Susannah and make sure the three of you enjoy what is left of the afternoon.' She smiled at them both and started to go back inside. 'I'm not going far, even if I am retiring, I shall be around at the convent. Do come and see me from time to time, please.'

As the nun moved off, Ella reached out and bumped Beatrice's hip with her hand. 'You OK, Bea?'

'Yes. Are you?' She moved to lean on the wall next to Raphaela, close enough that their shoulders touched, and uncrossed her arms to touch the back of her hand to her friend's.

Ella cautiously turned her hand to take hold of Beatrice's and squeezed gently, hiding the gesture in the loose skirt of Beatrice's dress even though there was no-one to see them. For a heartbeat or two a new potential reality, one less than twenty-four hours old, pulsed between them. 'Yeah, I'll live.' She slowly drew her fingers out of Beatrice's, although Beatrice didn't let go immediately and ended up resting the back of her hand against Ella's thigh. 'Where's Susie?'

Beatrice let her hand linger for a moment against Ella's shortish navy-and-red-striped jersey dress, noticing again the warm solidity of her friend's toned thigh beneath the soft material. 'I don't know. She must have gone somewhere after the ambulance left.' She pushed herself away from Ella and moved to where the man had been. 'Her bag's still here.'

They packed up as best they could and found Susie sitting quietly in the chapel. Beatrice sat next to her in the pew, and Raphaela stood in the pew behind and gently massaged their friend's shoulders. 'All right, Suze? Thank God you were around, eh?'

Susie rubbed her face quickly. 'Thanks for your help, girls. Good result. Hopefully he'll be OK.' She nudged Beatrice. 'Can you thank those two prefects, as well. They were brill.'

'We've got your bag, but just threw everything back in, probably all wrong.' Beatrice touched Susie's arm quickly. 'Sister F wanted to thank you personally.'

Susie looked around the chapel carefully. 'A lot's happened in the past ten years, eh? But this place...' She waved vaguely, then heaved herself up out of the pew. 'OK, let's go. I'll go and say goodbye to the old girl, then we can get back to your cottage. I'm about ready to put my feet up, and I could murder a good strong cup of tea.'