“She’s obviously pretty upset, but, on the other hand, she seems to be quite calm about it all. Maybe that’s what comes from living with illness for so long. She’s a pretty tough person.”

“I know she is.”

“Just before she left for Inverness, she told me that Patrick had been planning this trip for ages, and that he had been so excited about it. She said that he would have wanted to end his days doing something completely madcap like that, rather than fester away in a wheelchair.”

“I think that’s very true.” Dan suddenly had a vision of Patrick, eyes glinting with excitement and intrigue, staring out of the plane windscreen into the all-enveloping fog. He shook his head to clear it from his mind. “I don’t suppose any arrangements have been made for the funeral?”

“Not yet. Katie reckons that there’ll be a postmortem.”

“Of course.”

“Are you coming up, Dad?”

Dan ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve got to work it out, Josh. I’ll have to have a word with Battersea Gran and the girls before I make a decision.” He bit at his bottom lip. “What’s your gut feeling, Josh? You always seem to know.”

There was a brief silence on the line. “I think you should come up immediately, Dad,” Josh said quietly. “Katie needs your support. That’s my gut feeling.”

Dan smiled. “I’m glad you said that, Josh.”

“So will you come?”

“I’ll try to get on the train tonight. Can I get hold of you at Auchnacerie?”

“Yes. Maria José and I are staying here until Katie gets back.”

“In that case, I’ll make some plans and then give you a call. I’ll just stay at the cottage.”

“All right, then,” Josh replied, “and Dad, you’d better bring some warm clothes. It’s bloody freezing up here.”

30

There was no need for you all to come, you know,” Dan said to his mother as he walked with her and Millie and Nina along the platform at Euston Station.

“No bother at all, dear,” puffed Battersea Gran. “Sunday night telly has never been quite the same since Monarch of the Glen finished. Anyway, I’ve always rather liked railway stations. There’s such an air of excitement about them!”

Dan found his carriage and put his suitcase in through the door. He had taken notice of what Josh had said about the weather and now turned to face his farewell committee wearing his padded jacket and fawn-coloured corduroy trousers. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said, bending down and giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll let you know when.”

Battersea Gran put her hand on the sleeve of his jacket and her eyes brightened when she felt its soft, downy texture. “Now that’s what I call clothing. At last you’ve come to your senses.”