‘You are very kind.’ Mrs Hart managed a small smile. ‘Through the years without Fred, I have taken comfort in the knowledge that he gave his life doing what he was made for. What he loved to do. We can none of us ask more from life than that.’

A swell of love for her friend made Lou want to do or say something. ‘May I tell you a story of my own?’ she asked.

‘I should like that,’ Mrs Hart said.

‘It’s a story about a woman. A hypothetical woman, let’s call her Lizzie.’

Lou watched Mrs Hart’s face, waiting for a reaction. Mrs Hart stared straight ahead. Taking her silence as permission to continue, Lou said, ‘When Lizzie was a young girl, an awful tragedy threw her into the life of a lonely girl. They became such good friends that they grew as close as sisters. Unfortunately, one day, Lizzie had to go away. It was as much a surprise to her as those she left behind. Her heart broke for the loss of her friend. But in leaving, she was reunited with the brother she had thought lost. Through him, she met a man who became the love of her life. They married and had two sons. They travelled the world, and Lizzie worked with women and children in every country they visited. But through all those years, Lizzie never forgot her best friend. Because how can you forget the person who helped mend your broken heart? Lizzie’s greatest wish was that her friend should know that she had lived a good and happy life.’

Mrs Hart continued to stare straight ahead. A tear slipped down her cheek. She brushed it away. When another tear fell, it dripped down her cheek and on to her chest. ‘Thank you,’ she said quietly. Putting aside her glass, she let her hand rest on top of Lou’s. ‘Now let me tell you the ending to my story. Not ten minutes before you came in tonight, Tom was sitting in that chair where you are now. He always takes a drink with me on Christmas Eve. To remember. He was only a boy when Fred died, but he was incredibly fond of his uncle. He took the news of his death very hard. I see so much of Fred in the man Tom has become. His kindness, his temperament, his loyalty. But tonight, unlike every other Christmas Eve, Tom needed my comfort. He said that he was sure he wouldn’t sleep since he has so much playing on his mind.’

She squeezed Lou’s hands. ‘I would give up all the life I have lived since Fred died for the chance to spend just one more minute with him. I wasted so much time when he could have been mine. Louisa, do not make the mistake that this foolish, stubborn old woman did. Do not leave this house without telling Tom how you feel, without giving him the chance to say what he must. He doesn’t even know that you are going. I didn’t feel that it was my place to tell him.’