‘I am right with her. It’s Harriet that’s got bitter and twisted over these last few years. I can’t help being me. She shouldn’t hide herself away so much up at Crummock. I’d welcome her back any day to help run things, if she would only ask.’ Isabelle was tired of trying to be all things to all people. She’d put every waking hour into her mother’s chain of shops, as well as having her two precious children, and hadn’t time for listening to the gripes and moans of Harriet.

‘Aye, well, she’s different from you. She prefers to be a wife and mother rather than a hard-headed businesswoman like you and your mother. Harriet lost two bairns, remember that. A mother never gets over losing a child.’ Archie looked at James and Danny, who were also like chalk and cheese but never spoke a bad word between them. If only the women of the family were like them. He watched as the two men shared a joke and laughed out loud as they turned to join in the conversation between Isabelle and Archie.

‘So, sir, you are to live with Danny?’ James looked with concern at Archie. ‘You don’t have to leave Windfell because of us; we are quite happy where we are at.’ He admired his down-to-earth father-in-law and felt that perhaps Archie was being hasty in his decision to live with his son.

‘Nay, lad, Windfell’s too big for one person. You will fill it well. Jane and Luke will enjoy living there and, besides, it’s where Isabelle belongs. I can help our Danny up at Crummock, and I’m sure Harriet will get used to me being about. I don’t take a lot of looking after.’ Danny smiled at James. He was not a hard northerner, but was softly spoken and gentle, perhaps too gentle for the hardheaded Isabelle.

‘As long as you are sure? You can return and live with us if you wish; there will always be a welcome, I’m sure.’ James shot a glance at Isabelle and noticed the dark look she gave him.