‘She never spoke of any family and, let me assure you, her friends are well taken care of.’

‘Then a favourite charity, perhaps,’ said Ross, not wanting to open the envelope.

‘That is not for me to decide, sir,’ said Monsieur Monderan. ‘However, if you were my client, I would politely remind you you have a daughter who might benefit from her mother’s prudence.’ Without another word, Monsieur Monderan rose from his place, gave Ross a slight bow and departed, having carried out his fiduciary duties.

Ross looked down at the unopened envelope and felt guilty that he had not considered his daughter’s future. It was some time before he finally tore open the envelope and extracted a cheque made out to Mr Ross Hogan QGM. He smiled at the thought of how Jo had pressed him on several occasions to tell her what he had done to be awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal. He had always managed to subtly change the subject.

He stared at the cheque and had to look at the noughts a third time before he realized that, for the first time in his life, he was a rich man. Though in truth, he felt like a poor man, and would have torn the cheque up without a second thought if it would have brought Jo back.

• • •

Beth didn’t have to ask William which foreign city he’d spent the day in when he returned home that night, because she already knew. She had wanted to accompany him to Paris, and would have done so if Artemisia hadn’t caught chicken pox, which meant that Peter almost certainly would follow her, as he always did. But Josephine had been in her thoughts all day.

She was just about to read the twins their bedtime story when she heard the front door close. She ran downstairs to find William hanging up his coat. They clung to each other for some time before William managed, ‘How’s Artemisia?’

‘Recovering. But now Peter’s gone down with it, as expected. They’re hoping you’ll read them their bedtime story.’

‘Of course I will, and then over supper I’ll tell you about everything that happened in Paris.’ Although he still hadn’t decided just how much he would tell her.

William walked wearily upstairs, but his spirits were lifted the moment he entered the children’s room and the twins scampered out of bed and clung onto a leg each. His thoughts turned once again to Ross and the joy he knew his daughter would bring him. Those thoughts were rudely interrupted when Artemisia reminded him, ‘We’ve reached Chapter Three, and we want to find out what’s going to happen to PC Plod.’

He smiled at her, pleased to see her spots had nearly disappeared; but the smile turned to a frown when he saw that Peter’s were just appearing.

‘Don’t forget,’ said William, ‘that PC Plod always tells his children not to pick their spots.’

Peter nodded as William opened the book. ‘Where did we get to?’