‘Yes. That’s what I said.’ He did not offer any further information, and she saw that he had thrust his hands deep into his pockets, and there was a muscle twitching along his jawline. For a time they walked in silence and then he stopped abruptly and turned to her. ‘My ex-wife is an American. We married very young. She hated my job. Well, not my job but the amount of time I spent on it. She said I was obsessed with work. We quarrelled about it all the time, and about the fact that she wanted children right away and I wanted to establish myself first. Things we should have talked about before we tied the knot, I suppose.’

‘You told me something wise about hindsight once,’ Camilla reminded him.

‘She had an affair. With an American she met in London. And then she was pregnant. So she asked me for a divorce and she left with him for Boston.’

Edward turned away and resumed walking, his face grey and sad. Camilla walked beside him, searching for a way to bring up a new subject.

‘She had a massive stroke when the child was born,’ Edward continued his narrative. ‘She’s a vegetable. He has the child. She’s in a home, and her parents take care of her. Keep her alive in the hopes that a miracle will one day restore her. They’re hugely wealthy and they don’t want to see me ever again because they feel I was to blame, that if I hadn’t neglected her, she would still be living and vibrant and happy, and surrounded by perfect children.’

Camilla put her hand out and took his arm. ‘I’m terribly sorry,’ she said, shocked by his sad story. ‘And I’d like to tell you that I’m grateful for all your kindness. I mean towards me, and Marina too. Now, let’s go and make merry. Because we all deserve it, and I think we’re actually meant to be here, helping each other along. Come on, Edward, you’re dragging your feet. By the time we’ve cooked that bird it will be about five, and I’ll be starving. Chewing the carpet. And you know how little Marina would like that.’

Marina had brought a small tree from London. It was festooned with decorations and lit with star-shaped lights with a heap of parcels underneath. Gifts and embraces were exchanged, and Camilla was thankful she had found the time to buy Edward a book before she left London. He had come with presents for them all, thoughtfully chosen and beautifully wrapped. Camilla opened her package to find a bangle, oval in shape and made from several woven strands of gold. It was an extravagant gift and she caught her father’s eye and Marina’s knowing smile as he slipped it on to her arm.