It hadn’t snowed again since that last bad spell, and bright sunlight was streaming through the partially open curtains when he woke on Christmas morning. It brought him no joy, and he felt like dragging the quilt over his head and staying there until it was all over. This had always been the one day of the year when Maureen would get up a couple of hours before him, and she’d have made a start on the cooking by the time he went downstairs and would be pottering around making sure the house was ready for when the kids and their families arrived. But, today, with Maureen gone, and Jo and Evan still giving him the cold shoulder, there would be none of the usual noise, laughter, and present swapping.

He caught the lyrical strains of Irena singing along to the radio in the kitchen, and sighed as he shoved the quilt off his legs. He might not be feeling particularly festive, but she’d been looking forward to spending Christmas here with an almost childlike excitement, so, for her sake, he would make the effort to shake off the gloom. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she’d tried so hard to cheer him up these past few weeks, he figured he owed her the same consideration.

After washing and dressing, he made his way downstairs and paused in the hallway when he saw Irena swaying her hips to the music as she peeled vegetables at the kitchen sink. The ugly bruises that had marred her face when she’d first arrived had completely disappeared, and her confidence had grown as the terrible fear she’d been feeling lost its power over her. She regularly went with him in the evenings to feed Yvonne’s animals, which was nice, but she still wasn’t quite brave enough to go out in daylight in case someone spotted her. Still, she seemed content to stay behind and take care of the house whenever Frank had to go out, and the place was as spotless as Maureen had always kept it.

Irena turned round at that moment, and jumped when she saw him standing there.

‘Oh, Frankie, you scare me,’ she chided, her hand on her breast. ‘I did not hear you come down the stair. How long have you been stand there?’

‘Sorry,’ he apologized, grinning sheepishly as he walked into the room. ‘Only a minute.’

‘You cannot come in here,’ she said. ‘This is very special day and dinner must be perfect, so go find something else to do and give me peace.’

Frank didn’t see why she was making such an effort when it was only going to be the two of them eating, but he raised his hands and backed away, saying, ‘OK, I’ll keep out of your way. But can I at least make myself a brew first?’

‘Don’t you need to go feed animal?’ she asked.