Daisy shouted in joy to see him. ‘Uncle Aaron! I’ve been to the beach and on the funfair. I’ve had candyfloss—’ she sent a sidelong glance at her grandmother ‘—but I’m still going to eat all my dinner.’

Aaron grinned and scooped her up for a hug. ‘And did Daddy go on the waltzer?’

Lee sent him a rueful look. It was well known in the family that the more violent fair rides sent him green.

‘No.’ She pouted, picking up her fork and stabbing a piece of lettuce. ‘I’m not big enough yet to go on that and he didn’t want to go without me.’

‘Nice of him,’ Aaron said gravely. As the others ate, he made himself a cup of coffee and chatted with his parents about the car they were thinking of buying, his brother about business, his niece about funfairs and his great-aunt about the likelihood of her emerging from the next fracture clinic without a plaster on her ankle.

When the meal was over he said, casually, ‘I’ve come to give you a bit of news.’

All adult eyes swivelled his way, though Daisy, evidently unimpressed, asked if she was allowed to watch CBeebies. ‘Just till it’s time for your bath,’ Lee agreed.

Aaron drained his coffee cup and looked around the faces turned towards him, the faces of those he loved. ‘I’m seeing Clancy,’ he said baldly. He watched them closely.

Fergus looked mildly surprised and glanced at Yvonne for her reaction.

Both Yvonne and Norma frowned. ‘But she’s Awful Alice’s cousin,’ Aunt Norma pointed out.

‘Clancy isn’t Alice,’ he pointed out gently. ‘Alice is long gone. Clancy is here and Clancy is Clancy. So that doesn’t matter, does it?’

‘That Ernie Romain said there was something between you two and I told him to shut up,’ Aunt Norma replied, with an air of Aaron having let the side down.

Aaron waited for his mother’s reaction. ‘Oh,’ Yvonne said quietly. ‘You’ve taken me by surprise.’ She looked from Lee to Aaron and back again. ‘What do you think, Lee?’

‘What am I supposed to think? It doesn’t bother me, if that’s what you mean,’ Lee remarked, though in the voice of one who wasn’t sure he was being listened to.

Aaron clapped him gratefully on the shoulder and Lee returned the salute as he got up and wandered off after Daisy.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Yvonne lowered her voice. ‘I’m really not sure about this, Aaron, not sure at all. Aren’t things going to be awkward?’

Aaron sent his mum a level look. ‘Lee seems OK with it, and he chats with Clancy when he meets her. Why don’t you try to get to know her a little more? She’s a great person and it’s not fair to be down on her because of Alice. I think Clancy has tried to be polite whenever you’ve met so I suppose all it takes is for you to do the same and there will be no awkwardness at all. Will there?’ He stooped down and kissed her soft cheek. ‘You wouldn’t want to be difficult, would you?’