Benedict kissed her on her papery cheek, feeling her frailness as he embraced her. Then the room seemed to be full of people. He was surrounded by his family, all smiling and looking at him curiously. He saw Bernadette and Kerry; saw his own children in these women, in their jawlines, in the movement of their head.

Yes, indeed, this was his real family. He held on to his grandmother and his mother, relishing the contact with people who were a part of him.

This was his family. Whether he liked it or not, this was the stock he came from. Then they were all touching him, wanting to get to know this big son of Briony’s, this extension to their large close-knit family. He was accepted immediately and at face value, something he had never experienced before in his life.

With all her troubles of the last weeks, with all her heartache over Boysie and Daniel, Briony still felt as if she led a charmed life.

The one thing she had wanted all her life, above everything, had now come about. After over fifty years of trouble, strife and heartbreak, when every family gathering had been bitter-sweet because one crucial person was always absent, always missing, the mainstay of her life was here now.

Benedict was in the fold.

Her son had come home to her.

Briony sat opposite Daniel in Wandsworth Prison. He was sitting with his legs crossed, his handsome face dour. She was listening intently to what he had to say.

‘Then, once I’m out, I’m going to go after the fucking lot of them. I’m going to tear the East End apart if needs be, but I’ll find them all. Every last one of them.’

Briony sighed softly. It was always the same.

‘As for that cunt Limmington, I heard he just got a slapped wrist. Well, I’ll fucking pay that slag out and all for my Boysie. You see if I don’t.

‘And did you see that ponce on Friday, did you? Telling the court how I pushed the knife into Mitchell’s mouth. I know that shite, I know his name and address. I’ll torture him and his fucking kids. I’ll torture his kids in front of him...’

Briony held up her hand.

‘Enough! For Christ’s sake, Daniel, that’s enough! You know the old saying, don’t you? “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.” You made a big mistake. You thought you could do what you wanted. Well, you can’t. I’ve got you McQuiddan and he’s good, but you’re going down, Danny boy. You’d best get used to that fact.’

Danny’s face twitched.

‘You and Tommy never went down, did you? You two got a result.’