‘Is OK, I will do,’ she insisted.

Following her with his eyes as she carried the kettle to the sink, Evan said, ‘That cardigan really suits you. The colour matches your eyes.’

‘Your father has let me wear,’ Irena said self-consciously. ‘But I will give back when I leave.’

‘You might as well keep it,’ Evan said. ‘My mum’s never going to wear it again, and it’ll probably only end up in the bin when the old man gets around to clearing her stuff out.’

‘I’ve already told her to keep it,’ said Frank. ‘And the rest will be going to the charity shop in the village, not the bin.’

‘Want me to drop it off for you?’ Evan offered. ‘Irena can come with me and see if there’s anything a bit more fashionable there for her.’

‘No!’ Frank said sharply. ‘I’ve already told you, the less people who know she’s here the better, so she can’t be seen out with you. Anyway, don’t bother making plans, because you’ll be helping me today.’

‘Doing what?’ Evan asked, still eyeing Irena.

‘Fixing Yvonne’s place up,’ said Frank.

‘I can clean, if you like?’ Irena offered.

‘It’s OK, love, we’ll manage,’ Frank said.

‘Aw, come on, Pops,’ Evan drawled. ‘How can you refuse that pretty face?’

‘I said no,’ Frank repeated. ‘It’s daylight, and we can’t risk anyone seeing her.’

Yvonne’s cottage was in an even worse state than Frank had remembered, and it took him and Evan several hours to make a dent in clearing out the rubbish. Leaving it at that for the day, they went back to the farm, where Frank called the hospital to ask how she was doing.

‘How is she?’ Evan asked when he’d finished the call.

‘Her hip’s definitely broken, and they reckon she’s got a chest infection, so she could be in there for a while,’ Frank told him, dismayed at the prospect of having to go back and forth to the cottage twice each day for God only knew how long to feed her pets. And it wouldn’t end there, because she’d undoubtedly need help once she came home, as well. ‘I think I’d best have a word with her and see if she’ll agree to let me get them rehomed.’

‘Good luck with that,’ Evan said, plucking cat hairs off his jeans. ‘Even if she said yes, you’ll have trouble getting those moggies out of there without losing a couple of fingers, ’cos they’re wild as fu—’

‘Yes, all right, I get your point,’ Frank interrupted, conscious that Irena was in the room. ‘But she’ll have to do something, because I can’t keep doing this forever.’