‘No,’ said Christopher. ‘But it sounds intriguing.’

‘You should ask her about it. And Louisa is going to stay too.’

When Christopher had gone, Giles grinned at his wife. ‘Matchmaking?’ he asked.

‘Umm,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps. He’s such a charming man – I really like him – and after what he’s been through I think he might need a helping hand. Besides, it will take my mind off our own troubles.’

‘And which one do you think would be best for him, O scheming one?’ asked Giles. ‘Marnie or Louisa? I think you favour Marnie, but I’d back Louisa to get her own way if she wants something badly enough. And from the signals I’ve been picking up I’d say she was more than a little interested in Christopher.’

They turned off the lights in the drawing room, let the dogs out and stood on the steps looking out over the misty moonlit garden.

‘We’re very lucky, aren’t we, Giles?’ she whispered. ‘To live here in this beautiful place and have each other and our children.’

‘Yes,’ he echoed. ‘We’re very lucky. And we’ll hang on to it. We won’t let Lorna or anyone else spoil our happiness, or make us forget it.’

Chapter Fifteen

Christopher walked slowly back to the Old Steading feeling more at peace than he had for a long time; hoping that he might be able to put the awful time behind him and look to the future – a future which, he was becoming increasingly convinced, was unlikely to include Nicola. For the first time he confronted the idea that even if she were prepared to try to get together again, he might be the one who felt unable to go back to their old relationship.

After he had been released she had announced that she wanted to see him for the first time since the end of the trial. She had not been pleased to learn that the meeting would have to take place at his parents’ house in the country, which he had chosen to give as his place of residence rather than his London flat. He had explained that the terms of his release, as a model d-category prisoner who had served half of his statutory three-year sentence, clearly stated that he must live at a fixed address and would have to ask permission to leave it.