‘You might not have been safe last night.’

‘No, that’s what I came about. I heard someone had broken into one of your houses. Are you all right? What happened?’

‘How about a glass of mulled cider while we tell you? I was just making some. Have you time to stay for a while? Who’s watching Millie?’

‘My mother.’

‘That’s nice.’

‘It’s the first time I’ve left her in charge, but Winifred and Dan are there, so if anything goes wrong, Millie will be all right. And I’d love a glass of cider.’

When Angus had served them all with his special recipe and they’d sipped appreciatively, they told her about the intruders and the strange coincidences that had stopped the two men causing any real damage, apart from the broken window.

‘Spooky,’ was all their visitor said.

Janey didn’t stay for longer than it took to drink her cider, then got ready to go home. She wasn’t worried about Millie, well not exactly, but this first time of leaving her daughter she felt reluctant to stay away for too long.

Angus insisted on seeing her to the end of the drive.

‘It’s not necessary. We’re only at Number Five.’

‘Nonetheless, I’ll feel better to know you’re back safely.’

‘You’d better let Sir Galahad have his way,’ said Nell. ‘He’s very stubborn. I’m going to stay here by the fire. I’m feeling lazy tonight.’

Janey waved goodbye to Angus from the gate and walked into the house. Dan’s car was no longer there, so he must have gone home. All was peaceful inside. Her mother wasn’t in the sitting room, but was on a chair by Millie’s cot, quiet as a ghost in the faint moonlight that shone through the window.

‘Everything all right?’ Janey whispered from the doorway.

Her mother came out of the bedroom to join her. ‘Everything’s wonderful. I was just enjoying the sight of her looking so peaceful. Doesn’t she sleep soundly once she’s given in to her tiredness?’

As they went back into the sitting room, she said, ‘Thank you for trusting me with her, Janey. I don’t deserve it but I won’t let you down ever again, I promise.’

‘Everyone deserves a second chance, Mum.’

After her mother had been picked up by one of the volunteers from the women’s refuge, Janey gave herself the luxury of reading in bed. The technical college hadn’t opened for the spring term yet and she’d managed over an hour of studying while Millie had her nap this afternoon, so she felt she deserved it.

As she closed her book and settled down for the night, she felt good. She had a home here with Winifred and enough money to manage on if she was careful.

Best of all, she had her daughter in the next room, the wonderful result of an evil man’s attack.

It had been a lovely evening. This time last year she’d felt so alone in the world. Now she had good friends and a lot to look forward to. Even a small family, if you counted her mother.