The horror had not left Oliver’s face. ‘How will you ever forgive me, Kerensa?’

‘There is nothing to forgive.’ She leaned forward and kissed his shocked face. ‘Have you forgiven me, Oliver?’

‘There was nothing to forgive you for, my precious love. I have such a lot to tell you, a lot to explain.’ Oliver looked intently at his newest child. ‘She’s beautiful, like you are. You must have a lot to tell me too. I’ve been longing to see you again and Olivia, Kane and Luke. Are they well? Have they missed me? Will they be glad to have me back?’

‘They’ll be as happy as I am.’ Kerensa stroked his hair and he kissed her hand, reaching up to kiss her cheeks and lips and then the baby’s head. His touch, his lips, the weight of his arms as they rested lightly on her lap reassured her he was really there and it wasn’t just a wonderful dream. She took in his deep suntan, his calloused hands, the working-class clothes he wore. It spoke of at least some of his activities since he’d been away from her, but explanations could wait till later.

‘Would you like to hold Kelynen?’ she asked proudly.

‘Yes, I want to hold her. I want to hold you. And all of my family. But she will do for now.’

He took the baby into the crook of his arm, she looked engulfed against his big strong body. He kissed her tenderly, doing the same to Kerensa before standing up and studying his daughter again.

‘I hope you did not have a difficult confinement. You must tell me all about it, I want to feel as though I’d been there.’

‘It was an unusual event,’ Kerensa said in understatement.

‘Kelynen. You have given her a Cornish name, like yours. I like it, it sounds so right for her – and Ann, simple but lovely. How came you by these names, Kerensa?’

Kerensa stood up and linked her arm through his. She wondered how he would feel when all the facts of Kelynen’s birth were revealed.

‘One was from a suggestion from someone, the other I asked another person to choose… It’s a long story, Oliver,’ she said carefully, smoothing a hand over Kelynen’s delicate head. ‘She’s different from the others – see, she has neither your colouring nor mine, but she has your dark eyes.’

Oliver slipped an arm round Kerensa’s waist and could not conceal his relief and joy. ‘This is the best homecoming I could possibly have, knowing that you still love and want me, and a new little daughter. She’s a little sweeting, have you had her baptised?’

‘I have delayed in having her baptised in the hope you would come home and give her names after Kelynen of your own choosing.’