The conversation moved on but Bill promised himself that he would go and see Ruby the first opportunity he got.

*

The next morning, to everyone’s surprise, Miranda was up and dressed early.

‘And what’s this then?’ her father teased as she joined him at breakfast.

‘Oh, I just thought I’d get the early train and go and see Aunt Hermione,’ she answered casually as she helped herself to a sizzling rasher of bacon.

Oscar frowned. In the past it had been all he and her mother could do to get her to see her aunt at all, and yet all of a sudden, she was going of her own accord. But he kept this thoughts to himself and merely nodded.

After Miranda had left, Serena entered the room to see if there was anything else he needed, and he grinned at her as he rose from his seat and took her in his arms.

‘Only you,’ he whispered into her hair.

She blushed prettily. ‘Oscar, stop it,’ she told him half-heartedly. ‘We agreed that we wouldn’t tell anyone how we felt until after your divorce but if Betty walks in on us, I think we might just give the game away, don’t you?’

Oscar grinned. ‘Well, there’s one person I am going to tell before I leave for work and that’s my father,’ he told her. ‘He’s been dropping hints about what a wonderful person you are and what a wonderful wife you would make for long enough, so I think I need to tell him he was right and put him out of his misery.’

Serena lowered her head and said quietly, ‘We don’t have to wait if we were discreet. What I mean is . . . it isn’t as if we’ve never . . . And anyway, there’s something else I really must speak to you about . . .’

Oscar drew in a breath, a little shocked at her words. But his overwhelming feeling was guilt. ‘If you’re referring to the times we came together after Miranda’s birth, I can only apologise for my behaviour. I was very unhappy, but I shouldn’t have used you like that and I’ve felt guilty ever since. What I realise now, though, is that even then, I loved you, but at the time I just couldn’t admit it to myself. Can you ever forgive me?’

She looked up at him now with a small smile on her face. ‘You shouldn’t feel guilty. I came to you willingly because I loved you even then. But that wasn’t what I needed to tell you. You see—’

Suddenly the door began to open and they sprang apart as Betty entered the room to clear the table.

‘Er . . . right.’ Oscar cleared his throat. ‘I’d better, er . . . nip in and have a word with my father before I leave for work.’ He gave her a wicked little wink and hurried away.