When the table was finally cleared, they moved over to the drawing room, where Graeme had already rekindled the fire and lit up another Christmas tree. After relaxing in front of the Queen’s speech and some dozing during It’s a Wonderful Life, coffee and liqueurs were served, along with a flaming Christmas pudding and brandy-flavored cream.

It was almost six by the time Jasmine left to drive to Ash Morley, far more flushed by the boisterous rounds of Taboo they’d played than by alcohol, as she’d had none since the glass of champagne on arrival.

As the door closed behind her daughter Claudia felt a strange mix of pride and loss, as if this was the best and worst part of the day. It was wonderful to see her claiming her independence, as she would more and more now that she had a car, but Claudia was already missing her little girl. She wondered fleetingly where they all might be this time next year, and experienced a wave of emotion as she realized that a year ago she’d never have imagined herself to be somewhere like this today. It would have been beyond her wildest dreams.

Feeling Dan’s eyes on her, she smiled as she looked at him, and gave a laugh at the comical way he arched his eyebrows.

“So, Claudia,” Maureen said from the comfort of a cream leather fireside chair, “can I ask how the renovations are going at the coach house? I’ve been hearing great things about it. Is it true it’ll soon be ready for you to move into?”

Thrilled to be asked, Claudia said, “We’re hoping it’ll be sometime in the next couple of months. The builders are doing an amazing job of bringing the place back to life.”

“The builders are?” Andee cried in protest. “You mean you are. You should see some of the things she’s done! All the original features have been restored or replaced, cornices, fireplaces, windows and doors, even the kitchen has a centuries-old feel about it in spite of it being brand-new—and I can’t wait to see it when the refectory table is in. The whole place is already feeling so much like a home that I could hardly tear myself away when I went in the day before yesterday. Don’t you love it?” She turned to Marcy.

“Completely,” Marcy assured her. “To borrow one of Jasmine’s words, it’s awesomazing. I don’t suppose anyone but my daughter would have thought to have purple walls with blue and yellow globe lamps hanging from stainless-steel rods over the kitchen table, but amazingly, I can see it working.”

“Andee would have thought of it,” Claudia put in with a laugh, “because it was her idea.”