She looked at him in shock. ‘It’s too expensive, costs thousands of pounds each year.’

‘I’m not rich, but I’m not short of money, either. And you’ll more than pay me back by letting me spend time with you and your delightful daughter.’

‘Can it be so easy?’ she wondered aloud.

‘Nothing ever runs perfectly smoothly, and this won’t either, so don’t expect instant miracles. But if we all work at it, we can build close family ties, I’m sure.’

‘A family!’ It was little more than a whisper, but he heard what lay behind it and gave her another of his quick hugs, as if he understood how much that meant to her.

‘I have some other relatives in England still, though I don’t know them very well. We went over to see them and they were more welcoming than I deserve. I was only twenty when I went to Australia and I was selfish and self-centred in those days. I didn’t even try to keep in touch. I got my degree part-time there while I was working in IT in its infancy. No, not infancy, childhood. It was well beyond start-up point by then.’

He paused and gave her a very level look. ‘One day I hope you’ll trust me enough to tell me more about your life, warts and all. But if you don’t want to, that’s all right. I will, of course, help your mother in any way I can and I won’t try to separate you from her.’

‘She and I aren’t all that close, though we’re working on it. She let him trample all over me while I was growing up, as well as her, you see, especially after my grandfather died. She’d given up fighting and become a … a doormat.’

‘Ah. Well, I’ll try not to tread on any toes.’

‘I’m seeing her regularly, letting her get to know Millie. I think how it goes between us from now on will depend on how well she moves on from her past.’

‘Poor Hope.’

‘Has she changed a lot since you knew her?’

‘Sadly, yes. Out of sight. I’d not even have recognised her. She looks much older than I’d expected.’

They sat quietly, then he said, ‘We’d better join the others soon. Just let me ask one thing: are you all right for money?’

‘Yes. I get social security and I’m a good manager.’

‘Will you let me do something for you? After all, I paid hefty private school fees for Gemma for all those years.’

‘If you like, but I can’t think what, except for an occasional present for Millie.’

‘Hmm. Do you have a car?’

She looked at him in puzzlement. ‘No. Why?’

‘It’d be my pleasure to buy you one, just a second-hand one, but a decent, safe vehicle. When you next have some free time you can help me choose. And I’ll pay the annual running costs.’

It was a moment before she could recover from the shock. ‘I can’t let you do that!’