Tess had been holding Gran’s hand, but now she transferred herself with great care to the edge of the bed and gave Edie a hug. ‘Now that I know the true story I shall love you more than ever!’ she declared. ‘I’ve always known you saved me from a children’s home, but I thought you had little choice because of our relationship. People would have thought badly of you if you’d left your real granddaughter to be brought up by strangers, but what you’ve shown is real love, the sort of love that Ruth shows to Naomi in the Bible.’

‘Then you’ll stay with me, queen?’ Gran said, her voice breaking. ‘Of course, as you grow older you’ll want to leave the nest as all little birds do, but right now—’

‘Right now I wouldn’t leave you for a thousand pounds,’ Tess assured the older woman, ‘but if you ask me the boot is going to be on the other foot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Albert were to ask you—’

‘He already has asked me, and I’ve told him that I’m happy with our friendship but you and I don’t need anyone else,’ Edie said. ‘Dear me, I feel as though a physical burden has been lifted off my back. And now that we both know everything, I want to talk about something else entirely. Albert told me you went to see your headmaster yesterday, and I can guess what you said to him. You’re not going back to school, are you?’ When Tess shook her head she went on, ‘Oh, I’d give anything not to have been on that wretched bus. If I wasn’t stuck here like this you’d be getting ready to start working towards your Higher any day now, and as it is . . .’ She sighed and patted Tess’s hand. ‘I feel so guilty, because as you know I promised myself that I would support you right up to and including university. I knew it would be a struggle but I thought I could manage it somehow, especially if you got holiday work. And to tell you the truth, Albert has very decently offered to give us some financial support which, if you insisted, you could pay back once you’re earning real money.’

Tess had felt a pang of apprehension when Gran had referred to marriage and Albert in the same breath, and now she felt another pang. If she accepted help from Albert it would be an admission that she and Gran were not a self-sufficient little family, and she had no desire to have to share, perhaps especially after the revelation that Edie Williams was not related to her in any way. So she shook her head. ‘It’s awfully kind of Albert – he’s a very kind man – but I don’t mean to take money from anyone, and now that I’m not continuing with my schooling I very much hope it won’t be necessary, because I mean to get full-time work. Any more questions?’