All in all, the longer he was at Shuttleworth Hall the more intriguing he found the ramifications of Hugo’s family life. It occurred to him, for instance, that Paul could well have been orphaned as a child, for if he had been there was nothing more certain than that Vicky would have taken him in and given him a home, just as she had given Heini a home.

He helped himself to more perfectly cooked vegetables, wondering what Vicky’s reaction was going to be when she discovered that he too had no immediate family. Would she semi-adopt him, as well? The grin he had shot Emily Elise deepened. He could certainly think of worse fates. What he wanted to know now, though, was how long it was going to be before the next surprise came, because he didn’t have a second’s doubt that there would be one.

It came three hours later in the shape of Nancy and was a surprise not only to him, but to everyone else as well.

‘I’ve had a bugger of a journey,’ she said as she burst into the house and they all rushed to greet her. ‘The London-Harrogate train took years and it was unheated and it was impossible to get even a cup of tea on it.’

She dragged a bright red beret from her hair and hugged Emily Elise tight. ‘Getting from Harrogate to Little Ridding was even worse, and when I did get there, the taxi driver said he’d used up the last of his petrol ration by driving someone else here and that I’d have to hitch a lift or walk. Which I did—and let me tell you that it’s far farther than it used to be!’

Emily Elise giggled, Vicky said she should have rung from the station as Adam always had an emergency can of petrol put by and Hugo said sheepishly, ‘Sorry about the taxi, sis. I’m the someone else he drove here.’

‘But he didn’t drive you here by yourself,’ Emily Elise said, eager to be centre-stage again for introductions. ‘Nancy, this is Tony. He’s Hugo’s navigator and he comes from London and he used to work in his father’s allotment.’

Seizing hold of Tony’s hand she dragged him from where he had been standing a little apart from them all. ‘And this is my half-sister, Nancy,’ she said, pleased as Punch at the way the family party was so rapidly growing in numbers. ‘She’s spiffing. She drove an ambulance in the Spanish Civil War and is a war journalist and a communist.’

Vicky gave a howl of protest. Adam shouted with laughter and Hugo said in mortification, ‘For the love of God, can no one shut this child up?’

‘No,’ Emily Elise retorted spiritedly as Nancy shrugged herself out of her coat. ‘And I’m not a child. I’m twelve. And Nancy is a communist. She told me so.’

‘I’m also about to be married,’ Nancy said as Heini barrelled his way towards her for a hug. ‘And before any of you ask, no, he is not a communist. He’s a former newspaper editor who is now a Labour MP. His name is Leo Gunn. He’s a Scot, from Caithness. He’s ten years older than me and, as it’s his idea that we get married, I guess it shows that he’s more conventional than he thinks he is. Now, will someone please lead me into the kitchen for a cup of tea and will someone please tell me that, despite rationing, a miracle has taken place and there are curd tarts to eat with it?’