‘What?’ asked her grandmother, coming up behind her.

‘It’s my dad!’ and Ella flew across the yard towards the tall man unfolding himself from the driver’s seat and flung herself against him.

From the back seat of the car, Peggy and Mrs Trent emerged.

‘This is your grandpa’s doing.’ Peggy was laughing. ‘He asked me to write to your father and invite him and Mrs Trent to come to the party you were planning for him.’

‘It’s wonderful to see you.’ Ella hugged first Peggy and then Mrs Trent. ‘Oh, how I’ve missed you all.’ Then she ran back to Jonathan, who was standing near the back door, his arm about Esther’s shoulders, reached up and kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you, Grandpa.’

From the boot of the car, Philip was lifting a huge bouquet of flowers and, as Ella made the introductions, he said, ‘I know it’s really Mr Godfrey’s day, but I thought he wouldn’t mind . . .’ And he laid the flowers in Esther’s arms.

‘For – for me?’ she stuttered, her face pink. Ella watched her gran look up into the face of the tall man as he said softly, ‘We meet again, Mrs Godfrey.’

For a moment, Esther looked puzzled. Then she gasped. ‘You! It is – was – you. Kate brought you here in the war, didn’t she?’

Philip Trent nodded. ‘Yes.’

Ella watched Esther struggling with conflicting emotions, whilst Philip took her hand in his and said softly, ‘I loved Kate very much, Mrs Godfrey. Whatever you think of me, I want you to believe that.’

Esther looked deep into his eyes for what seemed, to those watching, a long time, then suddenly she smiled, and though there was still a tinge of sadness in her face at the memories this man’s presence evoked, she said, ‘I do. I can see it in your eyes.’

Then to everyone’s surprise, not least Esther’s, Philip bent and kissed her cheek. ‘And now,’ he said, straightening up, ‘I’d like you to meet Ella’s other grandmother.’ He held out his arm to draw his mother forward and Ella held her breath as the two women from such different backgrounds regarded each other.

Mrs Trent, stepping carefully across the cobbles of the yard in her high-heeled court shoes, adjusted the grey fox fur about her shoulders and held out her gloved hand. Esther, in a daze, shook it and opened her mouth, but whatever she had been going to say was never spoken for, in a flurry of noise and excited chatter, the Eland family arrived and the party began.

She was so busy looking after all the guests that it was some time before Ella had time to talk to anyone.