‘Look, none of yous seem too interested in the history of it. But the Crimean war was pretty ground-breaking, actually. It was one of the first wars to have a newspaper correspondent reporting on it. A lot of people think that’s why the Victoria Cross was brought in because, for the first time, the people back home were able to find out what went on at a battle front. And that’s how they discovered that it wasn’t only the Officer class who showed exceptional courage. The VC was the first decoration that the ordinary, non-commissioned men could win. Oh, and Leo Tolstoy was there and wrote about it. Here in England, Karl Marx reported on an anti-war march, where people threw snowballs in Trafalgar Square. It was the last time soldiers’ wives were allowed to accompany them on a campaign … There’s a lot of stuff. It’s pretty interesting. I’ve found it really rewarding, my research into it all.’

‘Are you trying to tell us that you know more about its history and that gives you some sort of moral right over the VC?’ asked Adam. ‘Because you don’t have the monopoly on the history. You haven’t mentioned Mrs Seacole, for example.’ His eyes glittered with triumph for a moment.

‘I’m sure it’s all very fascinating, but what’s all that got to do with our medal?’ asked Cass. She sounded worn out.

‘It puts it in a context. A historical context. It means it’s not just about one man, or one family. It’s bigger than that. It deserves to be remembered. He does,’ said Hazel.

‘So, you’d better tell us your plan,’ said Cass.

Hazel told them. She told them that she’d talked it over with her children and her sister and they had all agreed. Some things were beyond price. Not to be forgotten was one of them. When she’d finished speaking the room felt uncomfortably airless, as if her idea had taken up all the available oxygen. Cass and Adam sat in silence, thinking.

‘May I speak, for a minute?’ said Georgie.

‘Oh, here we go. I was wondering when you were going to pipe up,’ said Adam.

Georgie shot him a look. ‘Well, I just want to say that I think it’s wonderful that Celia gave the medal to Stephen,’ she said. ‘He had just as much right to it as we did, we’re all apples from the same tree, when it comes down to it.’

Even as the words came out, she doubted very much that what she said was true. But she had been trained as an actress, after all. The fact was, none of them would ever know how the medal had come to be in Stephen’s things. He wouldn’t have stolen it, of that she was certain. But what had really happened was anyone’s guess.