The old lady massaged the fingers of her injured arm and frowned thoughtfully. ‘Christopher isn’t usually so bullish. That boy of theirs, he’s disappointed them so often it’s made him touchy.’

Hannah took over massaging Nan’s fingers, gentle with the loose papery skin and dainty bones. ‘Cassie said something similar,’ she admitted.

They watched the TV together for a while. It was a documentary about World War II. Nan had been a teenager for most of the war, had known gas masks and evacuees and how people had helped each other.

‘I chatted with Nico after you’d left,’ she said suddenly. ‘He was so looking forward to his trip home. But now he’s worried about his dad and managing Maria. You can’t expect as much of a two-year-old as you can an eight-year-old if there’s a lot of hanging about in hospitals.’

Hannah considered what she knew of Nico’s circumstances. ‘I know he left their old nanny behind in London and his cousin has uni. Maybe he has relatives in Sweden who’ll help.’

Stiffly, Nan edged round to face Hannah. Her age showed in the sad drooping of her wrinkles. ‘I asked him. No grandparents left alive and no aunts, uncles or cousins who aren’t busy working. He says he’ll try and get a temporary nanny from an agency when he gets there, if he has to. Cost a packet, I bet.’

‘Poor Nico. He’s stepped up to have Maria and been left to cope with the extra hassle.’ Hannah thought of the sunny toddler and her chatty big sister. Lovely kids, but lively.

‘You speak Swedish,’ Nan said.

Hannah swung her gaze on her grandmother. ‘And …?’

‘Those little girls know you.’ Nan pursed her lips and her wrinkles reassembled in a new pattern.

‘Barely!’ Hannah protested instinctively. ‘I’m not a nanny. I know nothing about kids. Nan, you’re not suggesting I save the day by volunteering to go with them, are you? It would be like one of those non-empowering chick flicks when a woman offers herself as a support act to a man.’ Especially when she’d just heard he wasn’t trying again with his ex-wife after all.

The lines of Nan’s face deepened. ‘You’re not going to be working at Carlysle Courtyard. You could track down that Albin and get your money back while you were there.’

‘I’m not here to work at Carlysle Courtyard. I’m here to help you. I can’t leave while your arm’s in a cast. I know Rob and Leesa are back but they have full-time jobs.’ Hannah patted her grandmother’s soft, crepe hand. She thought about being back in Sweden, with Nico, and a wistful note crept in. ‘It’s a point about Albin but you need someone to get your meals and help with zips and things.’