“Drown myself?” And suddenly she realized why they’d all raced into the water. “That was never my intention, although given that I haven’t been near deep water for more than two decades I suppose it was always a possible outcome. You may not have noticed but I’m wearing a bathing suit. And I borrowed a pair of wet suit boots because I didn’t like the idea of being barefoot in the lake.”

Izzy gave a little sob and flung her arms round her. “I thought maybe I upset you again. Or my dad made you want to drown yourself.”

Flora didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She actually felt like crying but that was probably because Izzy was hugging her for the first time. Tightly. Holding on. Clinging.

Flora clung back. “You didn’t upset me. And I’m not big on giving life advice, but I would suggest that no woman should ever drown themselves over a man.”

“Are you mad with Daddy?” Molly was clinging, too, her fingers wet and slippery. “I get mad sometimes when he gives me ham. But he does good things, too, and Aunt Clare always says that no one gets it right all the time.”

“That’s true enough.” Flora glanced at Jack who was standing fully clothed and dripping wet behind the children. The look on his face was one she’d remember for a long time. He loved her, she could see that. Whatever he hadn’t said, whatever mistakes he’d made, he loved her. “You forgot to take your clothes off.”

His gaze held hers. He didn’t smile. “I had other things on my mind. I can’t believe you went into the water on your own. Are you crazy?”

“I needed to do it this way.”

“He totally freaked out when he saw you in the water. He wanted to save you,” Molly said sagely. “We all wanted to save you, but you didn’t need saving, so that’s good.”

“Why didn’t you wait?” Izzy pulled away from Flora and tugged at her soaking T-shirt. “If you wanted to swim, I would have come with you.”

“I didn’t know how I’d react. I thought I might flip out and not be able to do it at all. That would have been embarrassing.”

“I wouldn’t have cared if you’d flipped,” Izzy said. “I wouldn’t have judged you. But I could have rescued you.”

“Not being able to do something you just have to try harder,” Molly told her. “That’s what Aunt Clare says.”

“And Aunt Clare is right.”

Molly clung to her hand. “If you want to try it again, I’m here and I’ll save you if you drown.”

She was surrounded by arms, legs and love.