Helena looked at her mother. ‘What I’d really love – but only if you’re absolutely OK with it …’

‘Yes?’

Helena knew that her mother knew what she was going to say. ‘I’d love to have it here – in a marquee in the garden. Simple, not too expensive, flowers in jam jars, fairy lights in the trees.’

‘It sounds lovely! And I’d be thrilled to have it here. I’d be offended if you tried to have it anywhere else – but the fact is, the garden is a bit small.’

‘I’m sure it’s big enough. Jago hasn’t many relatives he still talks to and not so many friends.’ She paused. ‘Although I suppose there may be some he’d like to get back in touch with, now all the scandal and disruption is well over.’

‘What about his parents? Where do they stand in all this?’

‘Well, his dad took his brother’s side. That’s the wicked uncle, so he and Jago don’t speak. His mother lives in Australia, I think. She moved as far away as she could from everything. There’s his sister of course. She’s a bit bossy, I gather, but they are close.’

‘Poor Jago,’ said Gilly. ‘Yet he seems to manage without having parents.’ She became thoughtful again and Helena knew she was thinking about Martin.

Helena brought the subject back to the wedding. ‘But you’re not doing the catering for my wedding. Not even the puddings. I want you – you and William – to enjoy the wedding and not have to work.’

‘Oh, darling. How sweet of you.’ Gilly suddenly seemed a bit tearful. Helena couldn’t tell if this was normal ‘my little girl is getting married’ stuff or because of her wretched brother. ‘But could you restrict your guest list to fifty? That’s how many we’re having tomorrow. We had to leave out lots of people we’d have liked to invite.’

‘But you’re probably inviting all sorts of friends and family of William’s we wouldn’t have for the wedding.’

‘True,’ Gilly acknowledged. ‘But I do have a lot of cousins – people I know and am fond of.’

Helena nodded. This extended family had been very kind and supportive during the divorce. She could see Gilly wouldn’t like to leave them off a guest list. But still, the wedding was all a long way off. It was far too early in the proceedings to think about whom they would ask.

‘It’s such a shame I had to sell the orchard as well as the building plot,’ Gilly said.

‘It works OK, doesn’t it?’ said Helena. The orchard had gone to neighbours who had grazed their children’s ponies in it.

‘It did,’ said Gilly, ‘but the other day I met Natasha at the Farmers’ Market and she said her son was coming home for a bit and wanted to put yurts on there and offer glamping.’