‘No. So . . . what was the weather like on Thunday?’ he asked in the patient tone of one trying to simplify things for the intellectually challenged.

Louisa and Marnie looked questioningly at each other.

‘Spring-like?’ suggested Marnie. ‘It was certainly a lovely day – it was real hot when we arrived.’

Edward nodded encouragingly. ‘So . . . what elthe then?’

‘Windy?’ asked Louisa. ‘It so often is windy up here, but I really can’t remember. Was it a specially windy day, Ed?’

Edward shrugged, frowned impatiently and cocked his head at Marnie. He reminded her of an inquisitive sparrow hoping for crumbs. ‘Don’t know. So . . . what elthe then?’

Marnie, intrigued, remembered that Isobel had told her how difficult Edward sometimes found direct contact, though it didn’t seem to be bothering him at the moment. She was aware that she and Louisa were being challenged in some indefinable way and suddenly very much wanted to pass the test – whatever it was.

‘If it was hot then it must have been sunny,’ she said, not looking at him, half-turning to gaze out of the window, but clearly considering the question very carefully.

‘Yeth.’ Edward looked pleased. ‘So what elthe?’

‘Something to do with the sun, perhaps?’

‘Umm.’ Enthusiastic nods.

‘Sunny . . . hot, certainly. Oh, okay, okay . . . that’s obviously not right.’ Edward was shaking his head reprovingly. ‘We-ell . . . let’s think then. Bright, perhaps? Shiny?’

More nods. Edward was now looking at Marnie with keen expectation.

‘Orange? Yellow?’ she tried, feeling she was on the verge of a breakthrough. ‘Golden?’

Edward beamed at her and started to jig up and down on the beanbag. ‘So go on.’

‘Umm. Well . . . gold then?’

‘Yeth, yeth, yeth. So what else is gold?’

‘Jewels . . . a crown . . . a . . . let me think now . . . some sort of a medal?’

‘Yeth!’ Edward punched the air.

Amy, who had come in during this inquisition, looked at Marnie with respect. ‘Brilliant of you,’ she said approvingly. ‘Ed won a gold medal at his weekly school swimming session in the Aberdeen baths last week, didn’t you, Ed?’

‘I did. I was the most glorious thwimmer of the day,’ said Edward modestly. ‘I out-thwam everybody else.’

‘Gee! Well, that must have been awesome,’ said Marnie. ‘I hope I’ll get to see that medal someday.’

‘I will show it to you mythelf,’ said Edward, his whole face lighting up. ‘And I will also show you my jam jar collection and my postcards and my football strips and my dead bugs and . . .’ but Marnie didn’t discover what other treats might be in store for her, because Edward, who had spied Rory in the hall, lost interest in the conversation as abruptly as though a light switch had been snapped off and disappeared out of the kitchen without a backward glance.

‘You two haven’t really met each other yet, have you?’ said Louisa. ‘Amy, this is Marnie Donovan. Marnie, this is Giles and Isobel’s daughter Amy.’