There is so much, so much he needs to respond to, but the first and fiercest overflows in him like a spring tide, and he takes both her hands in his, ducking his head to try and get her to look at him.

"Susan," he says, forcing his voice to something more like his normal tone – he'd never, not in the world or any other, raise his voice to her – "my darling, you are as good as gold and as sweet as sunlight. You are good all the way through, no matter what those horrible people did to you, made you believe. None of it was your fault, Su. Not a bit of it, contract or no. And had it all gone through, you'd still be just the same good person I know. Your heart is as pure as this snow that's falling all around us."