And Karli was standing by her side, waiting for her to tell her what to do.

Good grief, Jenna, you’ve really done it now, she whispered to herself. You king-sized twit. Dad always said you were stupid and he’s been proved right.

But what her father thought no longer mattered. Charles Svenson was in America.

Maybe her father was even acting in collusion with Brian.

The thought was unbelievable, but it was certainly possible. She and Karli shared a mother, but their different fathers-Brian and Charles-had to be the most unscrupulous men she knew.

So Charles was no help, and Brian was on the train that was drawing further away by the minute.

Jenna closed her eyes, remembering Brian’s face as she’d prepared to alight.

‘Get off, then,’ he snarled. ‘See if I care. I’ve won.’ His expression as she and her little half-sister stepped off the train was pure triumph.

Had he realised what this place was? Jenna’s breath caught in horror as the thought struck home. Had Brian realised what she was doing? Had he known that Barinya Downs was nothing?

Surely even Brian wouldn’t wish his daughter to be so desperately stranded.

Surely nothing. She sat down on her suitcase and tried to fight panic. She’d been so stupid. Five-year-old Karli was looking at her in concern, and she tugged the little girl down onto her knee and hugged her hard.

Calm down, she told herself. Make yourself think.

‘Will someone come and get us?’ Karli asked, her tone totally trusting, and Jenna struggled to find an answer.

‘Maybe,’ she told her. ‘I need to figure things out.’

Karli obediently subsided into silence-a feat she was all too good at. Karli had spent her whole five and three-quarter years being seen and not heard. Jenna was determined her silence had to end, but for now she was grateful for Karli’s silence. She had to think what to do.

Which was hard.