‘You’re a crafty girl,’ Holly told her and kissed her soft cheek soundly.

Their guests arrived before lunch and presents were duly exchanged and cooed over. Florence and Katie had been given new dresses for Christmas, and while Katie looked adorable, Florence, who was now fifteen, looked very grown-up, and soon Holly was busy keeping Katie entertained until dinner was ready.

The meal was a very light-hearted affair with all the usual trimmings to accompany the enormous turkey. Cook’s Christmas pudding was a triumph but immediately after everyone had finished, Walter glanced at Gilbert, Holly’s grandfather, and when the older man gave an almost imperceptible nod he rose to face them all with a wide smile on his face.

‘Could I have your attention please?’ He rapped his spoon on the table and all heads turned towards him. ‘I’m delighted to tell you all that some days ago I asked Emma if she would do me the very great honour of becoming my wife and I’m happy to say, with her father’s blessing, she has agreed. We thought we would wait until today to tell you all, seeing as it’s such a special day, so now all that remains for me to do is to give Emma her ring and beg her not to be too long in choosing a date for the wedding.’ Amidst cheers and applause, Walter removed a tiny ring box from his jacket pocket and extracted a beautiful ruby and diamond ring. Turning to Emma, he slipped it onto her finger and kissed her soundly.

‘Does this mean that Emma will be our new mother?’ Katie asked innocently.

Emma tenderly stroked the child’s cheek. She had grown to genuinely love her. ‘I shall never be your real mother, she was irreplaceable,’ she told the child gently. ‘But I will be your stepmother and I hope that we will be the very best of friends.’

Gilbert rushed off to fetch a bottle of champagne that he’d had chilling in a bucket of water especially for the occasion and once the cork was popped and the drink poured they all raised a glass to the newly engaged couple, even Florence and Katie were allowed to have a sip, much to their delight.

Holly was thrilled to see her mother so happy, yet she couldn’t help feeling a little sad and envious too as she thought of Richard and how things might have been. Even so she plastered a smile on her face and silently prayed that her mother and Mr Dolby might live happily ever after. They certainly deserved to.

‘No wonder yer mam were nervy,’ Ivy said with a smile when she and Holly were tackling the mountain of dirty pots later that afternoon. ‘I ain’t really surprised. I’ve seen the way the wind were blowin’ fer some time now. A blind man on a gallopin’ donkey could see that they were taken with each other. Just think, though, it could ’ave been you if yer grandfather had had his way.’