Like hell I will! he had wanted to exclaim when David’s lawyer laid upon him the task. Honouring the clan’s founders was fine with Nathan, and such commemorations not uncommon in the Jewish community. What went against the grain was David’s instructing Nathan to do what he himself would eventually have got around to doing.

Only, given the sort of folk his parents and the Moritzes were, Nathan would have commemorated their names in a manner of which they would surely have approved. With the endowment of a hospital bed. Or a bench in a park.

Instead – well, if there was a hereafter, David was now doubtless sitting plucking his harp strings, feeling highly pleased with himself! The well-meant, if often misguided, acts of kindness performed while he lived would have assured that he not be consigned to the other place, though many were the occasions when Nathan had told him to go there.

Nathan had nevertheless wept at David’s graveside, and had thought then, as he was thinking now, that if ever there were a love-hate relationship it was his own with David.

Meanwhile, snow was still falling outside the window. The way things were looking, Marianne would need a sledge to get to Manchester from Cheshire. And the planes bringing those of the family due to arrive shortly from far afield might be unable to land.

Though David would have employed emotional blackmail to ensure the show of family unity he had desired for this special occasion, that wasn’t, and never had been, Nathan’s way. What was the use of unity if it had to be imposed? If the loyalty instilled by Sarah Sandberg had, with her going, gone too, so be it.

Which wasn’t to say that Nathan wasn’t hoping that it was still there. Today would be the first test.

Chapter Two

In the event, Nathan had cause to be a proud and happy man. Though one or two twigs were missing, every branch of the clan was represented at the ceremony. Even Henry Moritz was there, which surprised no one more than it did his sister-in-law, Leona.

Since in an orthodox synagogue men and women are seated separately, Leona did not notice Henry slip into the seat beside her husband, and said, when her daughter nudged her and pointed, ‘But wouldn’t you know it, Carla, he arrived late.’

‘Uncle Henry still can’t do anything right for you, can he, Mum?’ Carla whispered.