‘They’re getting married so soon?’ breathed a shocked Cordelia.

Peggy nodded. ‘It seems so, Cordy. But I agree it does seem a bit hasty – although waiting wouldn’t really have changed anything.’

‘Maybe not. But it would have been the decent thing,’ huffed Cordelia.

Peggy read down the page and quickly turned it over, absolutely thrilled that Delaney had clearly gone straight to Singapore after dropping in here – luckily, Cordelia had been out that morning, so she had no need to know of the part Peggy had played in getting those two together.

‘They decided to hold the ceremony two weeks before Christmas because Sybil had already been in Singapore for three months and wanted to get back to little James in Australia.’ Peggy sighed. ‘Oh, that means it’s all done and dusted, and it’s too late to send a telegram congratulating them. I do wish they’d written to warn me.’

‘I think the whole thing’s disgraceful,’ grumbled Cordelia. ‘Sybil should be ashamed of herself for allowing it so soon after those men died.’ She folded her arms. ‘As for Sarah carrying on like that … I would never have believed it of her.’

‘You know as well as I that Delaney was Sarah’s true love,’ said Peggy quietly. ‘And as Jim has rightly pointed out, Philip had become a stranger to her, and it was the memory of how he’d once been that she was really mourning. So of course when Delaney turned up, she had to follow her heart.’

‘It’s all romantic tosh if you ask me,’ retorted Cordelia huffily. ‘Are they coming back here? Because if they are, I shall tell them straight that I do not approve.’

‘Oh, Cordy,’ sighed Peggy. ‘Just be thankful that everything turned out all right in the end, and try to be happy for them.’

Cordelia scowled. ‘My poor nephew must be turning in his grave at his daughters’ lack of respect,’ she muttered.

Peggy wasn’t at all sure that Jock would be doing any such thing, but as Cordelia seemed determined to disapprove, she said nothing and quickly read the last of the letter.

‘Well, you’ll be glad to hear they aren’t coming back to Cliffehaven,’ she said when she’d finished. ‘They left for Australia after the wedding and will stay there over Christmas. Jeremy and Jane will then go to Washington, and Sarah and Delaney will travel to Texas so she can meet his family, but there are no plans as to what they will do next.’

‘So they’ll both be in America,’ muttered Cordelia. ‘I doubt we’ll see either of them again – but what about the things they left behind? What are we supposed to do with them?’

‘There’s nothing of Jane’s, and only a few bits and pieces of Sarah’s. I’ll pack them up and put them in the attic should she ever want them.’ She folded Jim’s letter and slipped it into her apron pocket. ‘It would be nice if the girls can get to see Rita while they’re in Australia,’ she murmured. ‘Didn’t Sarah say her mother lived near Cairns?’