Sally grinned. ‘He’s a hard little sod, Miss Cavanagh, take more’n a tumble to set his waterworks off!’

Benedict ran over to Sally, holding out his sleeve. ‘Oh Sal, Sally! Look what I’ve done to my jacket!’

‘Come here, let me look.’

Briony felt the tightening in her chest as he approached. He smiled at her and Tommy before he held out the offending arm to Sally.

‘Mama’s going to trounce me, Sally.’

Briony and Tommy’s eyes both opened wide at the expression.

‘Now, young man, don’t you be using those words in front of your parents! Your mother would have my guts for garters if she thought I was teaching you words like that!’

Benedict smiled craftily. ‘As if I would, Sal! But look at it, it’s covered in mud.’

‘It’ll clean, lad. You go and play with your dog.’

Nipper, deciding he liked the look of Briony, jumped up at her, putting his muddy paws on her coat.

‘Nipper! Get down! I’m sorry about that ...’

As Benedict looked into the lady’s face his words dried in his throat. It was like looking in a mirror.

‘Hello, Benedict. Your nanny was just telling me all about you. What a wonderful dog.’ Briony’s voice was quavering with emotion. It took every ounce of her willpower not to grab hold of him and crush him to her chest.

Benedict stared into the green eyes so like his own and said, ‘Yes, he is a wonderful dog. Excuse me, but do I know you?’

Briony shook her head and answered, ‘No, you don’t know me.’

‘How strange. I feel as if I know you from somewhere.’

Briony and Benedict locked eyes. Tommy watched them as they sized each other up. Benedict was so like her it was uncanny. The same heart-shaped face, the same high cheekbones, and the same green eyes. Benedict was like the spit out of her mouth, as his mother would have said. He was going to be handsome, and if he had his mother’s nature as well as her looks he would be one hell of a man. Looking at Briony and Benedict together, he felt the pull that Briony must experience and understood then exactly what kept her going in life. She looked after everyone, even old Solly Goldstern, but the one person she really wanted to take care of was out of her jurisdiction. She couldn’t put him to bed, wipe away his tears, or hold him in her arms. No wonder she had gone for Dumas as she had. At the end of the day, he had got everything and she had got nothing.

‘Would you like an ice cream, son?’ Tommy’s voice broke the momentary closeness.

‘Oh, yes please.’ Benedict’s eyes were bright.

‘You take him, Bri, I’ll chat to Sally for a while.’