John cleared his throat. ‘We were printing them for a garden supplier last week. It’s one of the first big sheets off the press, before we do a proper print run. Your brother thought you might like it.’

‘A whole catalogue.’ The excitement in Ann’s voice was unmistakeable. ‘That’s like giving me two presents at the same time. Thank you very much.’ She smiled at Finlay. ‘If you want to help me plant some of them, that would be alright.’

‘They are all for you,’ he replied quickly. ‘I’m not the gardener in the family.’

Ann put the seeds and the catalogue aside and studied the next parcel. The cream-coloured box was tied around and around with enough green hair ribbons to last for several weeks even when Ursula had allowed for the current rate of loss. Ann undid the bows and paused to enjoy the moment. She knew that this was her real present, with the encyclopaedias still ahead of her. The lid of the box was stiff, and it took a moment to loosen it, but when she managed to get it off and she saw what was inside, she didn’t know what to say. Sitting in crinkly tissue paper was something she hadn’t even known she wanted, until it was suddenly there in front of her. Her very own grown-up bag, in her favourite colour in the whole world. ‘Is this really for me?’ She lifted it out of the box and got off Father’s chair so she could put it across her shoulder, and twirled around to see what it felt like.

‘It’s from both of us,’ John said, with an unexpected catch in his voice. ‘Ursula thought it was time you had something that befits a young lady of thirteen, and I agree with her.’

Ann snapped the catch open and looked inside. ‘It’s purple!’ She found the second clip and undid it. ‘And there’s another pocket as well. Look, Finlay. Isn’t it splendid?’

From the other end of the table, Ursula saw that John had been right, and Finlay had indeed seen the significance of the green, purple and cream. He looked at his sister, enjoying her delight for a second time, and then glanced across at Ursula and nodded, very slightly. Not approval, exactly, but an acknowledgement.

Ann took the bag off and stowed it carefully in the box. ‘I think I know what this is,’ she said, nudging the huge cardboard box on the table, which had no birthday wrapping at all. To her surprise, the box moved. She pushed it a little harder and it moved again.

‘Perhaps if we put this on the floor for you?’ said John. He lifted it down onto the carpet without any effort. ‘How peculiar, it’s not heavy at all.’

Ann came over to have a closer look. ‘I think it must be empty.’