‘From what I’ve seen here tonight, you’ll be well out of it, Nat,’ Sybil went on.

A remark that brought Nathan up short and caused him to remove his hand from hers. ‘I happen to be the only surviving elder of my family, Sybil, and I take that responsibility very seriously.’

‘I’m a family person myself,’ she mewed.

Nathan surveyed her in silence, his thoughtful expression indicating that he was suddenly seeing her differently.

‘You must forgive me for wasting so many months of your time,’ he told her courteously.

A show of claws followed. ‘Like hell I will!’

If Dad had already given her what she’s been after – an engagement ring – a breach of promise courtroom scandal might now be his lot, thought Leona, watching Sybil try to make a dignified exit.

It was Howard who saw her out. When he returned, he said, ‘Why did you suddenly break it off with her, Uncle Nat?’

‘My son just took the words from my mouth,’ said Harry.

‘And I have to say that I’m still recovering from the surprise,’ said Frank.

Nathan gave them a smile and said brusquely, ‘I’m going to leave you to figure it out for yourselves.’

‘I already have,’ said Leona, ‘and I’m proud of you, Dad.’

Once again, family was responsible for changing the course of her father’s life. But this time he had not required coercing, and the outcome was the opposite of the disasters to which family loyalty had led him in the past.

Chapter Three

The following day was one of surprises for Marianne, some better described as shocks.

Ann washing her hands of Harry? And Harry agreeable to entering a nursing home? Uncle Nat suddenly ending his romance seemed but an item of gossip beside those two astonishing developments.

‘Your mother doesn’t mean it and your father is just playing her along,’ Marianne had said when Howard called to tell her.

‘Believe it or not, Marianne, Mum is like a new woman since she made the decision. And Dad is now saying he’d have made it himself, but he didn’t want to upset her.’

‘A likely tale!’ said Marianne.

‘I agree. But all that matters is it’s best for both of them and it’s going to happen. It will also ease things for me. I shall be able to go to Germany more often and stay longer. There’s something I’ve been keeping to myself—’

When Marianne rang off her mind was awhirl. Howard’s reply to her asking why he was keeping his girlfriend a secret did not bode well: ‘There are complications I don’t even want to think about.’ But sooner or later he would have to, and Marianne hoped that he would not by then be inextricably involved in yet another insoluble situation.