‘I was looking for something for Diana and Constance, but what I found was so splendid I had to get it for everyone in the family.’

‘Jack’s just taken the wine making stuff over to her. He said she seemed pleased. Daddy, we were wondering about Christmas. The boys quite liked their new great-aunt and her friend. Mike said, “Why aren’t they invited for Christmas?” I tried to explain about Constance, but they don’t believe me. I haven’t seen her again of course, but from what they said, she’s perfectly charming.’

‘She can be,’ David said.

That whole day had so newly coloured his understanding of Constance, the boys’ part in it so much the sad end result that he could hardly remember how she had been with them.

‘Have you made any headway with Mary about them?’

‘No, I haven’t, but even if I had, the day wouldn’t just be too much for Constance, it would be too much for Mary. Has she talked to you about Christmas?’

‘Yes, and everybody, including Mary, wants it where it’s always been. She told me you thought we ought to begin to make some of our own traditions, but the only radical departure we’ve thought of is pie rather than Christmas pudding.’

David laughed. Christmas pudding was the only revenge Patricia had taken for seeing to it that they had what they had liked to eat for the rest of the year. She actually liked it. No one else did.

‘But shouldn’t we do something about … with Aunt Diana?’

‘Perhaps we might drop in some time over the holiday. Boxing Day?’

‘Tactless. Constance is English, and she’s bound to associate it with the servants.’

‘Do you really think so?’ David asked, wondering if she would not find it comically appropriate, but he wasn’t certain enough of Constance’s humour to try to explain it to anyone else. ‘Well, what about Christmas Eve afternoon?’

‘I’ve promised to do the pies with Mary. What about Christmas night? We’ll have dinner at four. We’ll have been together all day. Mary expects us to go home for a late supper.’

‘About seven for an hour or so?’ David asked. ‘I’ll see if that would suit them.’

David decided he would also go alone on Christmas Eve afternoon. He didn’t want to seem to disappear into the bosom of his family on this first Christmas of their reconciliation.

‘But that’s exactly what I’d hoped you’d do,’ Diana said to him when he phoned to make Christmas plans. ‘Constance and I are no good at Christmas.’

‘You don’t have to be,’ David said. ‘Laura and her family just want to drop in, and on Christmas Eve I only want to stay long enough to set up your present.’