Her voice broke and Tommy put an arm around her shoulders. ‘Who’ll bring them up now? Your mum?’

Briony shook her head furiously.

‘No way. I’m going to bring them up. They’re my boys now. Mine. Daniel and Dennis Cavanagh. Aren’t you, my lovelies?’

She bent closer to them and Tommy sighed softly. ‘They’re O’Malleys, Briony. Eileen was legally married, remember?’

Briony shook her head.

‘No, you’re wrong. These two are Cavanaghs. Eileen gave them to me. I’ll be their mother, I’ll bring them up, and they’ll be brought up as Cavanaghs. That’s an end to it. I have great plans for these two young men, Tommy. Great plans.’

‘I’m sure you have, Briony.’

She was unaware of the undercurrent in Tommy’s voice.

‘They’ll have everything. Liselle will be like a sister to them. She’s a beauty, too. They’re the next generation of Cavanaghs and all living under one roof. I’ll make sure they have the world on a plate. The best education, the best of everything. I promised Eileen I’d look after them and I will.’

The bigger of the babies turned himself over and Briony picked him up tenderly.

‘Look at your Uncle Tommy, Boysie.’ She looked at Tommy and said: ‘We call him Boysie because he’s the bigger one. I don’t know why but he looks like a Boysie, don’t he?’

Tommy smiled and nodded agreement.

Briony kissed the child softly on his tiny rosebud lips. ‘Who’s their mummy’s little babies then, eh? Who’s my beautiful boys?’

She placed the child back in his crib tenderly and then picked up the other. Daniel snuggled into her arms naturally, used to the feel and the smell of her.

‘Oh, Danny Boy.’ She looked at Tommy again. ‘This one is the quieter of the two. As alike as they look, they’re different in many ways. Boysie is much louder. Danny Boy, well, he’ll be a thinker, I reckon. He’s the quiet one.’

Tommy watched her look at the child intently, practically drinking him in with her eyes.

‘They’re lucky to have you to look out for them.’

Briony shook her head and said truthfully, ‘Oh, I’m the lucky one, Tommy. It’s me who’s the lucky one. I can give these boys so much. And in return it’ll be like having my own boy back. Like having two Benedicts to care for. I owe it to Eileen and to myself to make sure these two little spats have the best that money can buy. And I’ll see that they do.’

He touched the child’s downy head and said, ‘Money can’t buy happiness, Briony. You more than anyone should know the truth of that.’