“I wish I had a house in the country, then I’d take you to live with me,” I said. “You’re so much better in good country air.”

“Don’t you worry about me, my love.” He patted my hand. “I’ve had a good innings. Can’t complain.”

I gripped his hand. He had always seemed so strong, so chipper before. The ex-policeman who had tackled everything in his life. It was worrying to see him almost giving up. “Don’t talk that way, Granddad. You’ve got to stay around for a long while yet. You have to come to my wedding and hold my first child.”

“Either of those likely to happen any day now?” he asked with a cheeky smile. “That Darcy fellow still courting you?”

“Hardly courting me.” I smiled. “And he’s not around at the moment. But one day . . .”

“He’s the right sort, that Darcy,” Granddad said. “You stick with him and you’ll do all right.”

The kettle boiled and he put three scoops of tea into the pot before pouring on the boiling water.

“So what brings you down here today? Just come for a chat or was it something more?”

“I’m always happy to come for a chat,” I said. “Seeing you always cheers me up, but actually I’ve come to reclaim Queenie and I find that I don’t know her parents’ address.”

“You’ve come to take her back?” Granddad asked, then he gave a wheezing laugh that turned into a cough. “Blimey, ducks, that won’t half be good news for her folks. Driving them up the pole, that’s what she’s been doing. Her own mum said she didn’t know how Queenie didn’t drive you round the blooming bend. Said you must be some sort of saint, she reckoned.”

“So Queenie hasn’t actually been that much of a help?” I inquired.

Granddad chuckled again. “You could say that. She tried to do the cooking and the gas cooker exploded. Then she knocked the fireguard onto her mum’s broken leg. No, I think I can safely say that they’ll want to kiss your feet for taking her away again.”

“Poor old Queenie,” I said. “She does seem to be rather disaster prone.”

“And yet you’re prepared to give her another go?”

“Oh, Granddad.” I gave a sigh. “Who else would employ her? Besides, she is the only maid I can afford and most of the time she’s better than nothing.”

“Well, if you’re really sure about this, she’s next door with her gran right now,” he said. “Her gran’s been trying to teach her to cook—without too much success, so I hear. Her dad claims she’ll poison the lot of them. Pity really, because her gran’s a lovely cook. Here, try the cake.”