‘Oh, so do I! Whenever something funny happens I still want to ring him up and tell him. I miss Mum too, of course, but Pa was my guiding star . . . my yardstick.’ She looked at the old lady. ‘I badly want his advice right now,’ she said, ‘and for the first time in my life he isn’t there when I need him.’

‘Ah.’ Evelyn Fergusson shot her a piercing look. ‘It’s partly about your father that I want to talk to you.’

‘What’s the other part?’

‘The other part is about Lorna.’

‘I rather thought it might be.’ Isobel picked up the heavy brass poker and jammed its point into one of the big logs in the grate, sending an army of sparks marching up the chimney. ‘Did you know that Giles and I’ve had Lorna’s son, Rory, staying with us?’ she asked.

‘Yes.’ Evelyn gave a snort of laughter. ‘Hamish’s wife had it from their daughter-in-law, who had it from Janet MacDonald’s daughter whom they’d met at the tup sales – I think the little boys played together when Janet had her grandson staying. So the bush telegraph is in good working order, you see.’

‘And? I think you know something about Rory, Evie.’

‘How much do you know yourself?’ countered Evelyn.

‘I know he’s Giles’s son and that’s enough of a problem to be going on with.’ Isobel looked at the old lady to see if this came as a shock to her, but she remained inscrutable.

‘Did Lorna tell you that herself?’ she asked.

‘Not in so many words. She very definitely hinted at it but I think she’s enjoying a game of cat and mouse with me. But I know.’ Isobel stabbed the fire again. ‘He’s the living spit of Giles, for one thing,’ she said. ‘But I still had to be sure.’ She looked up rather defiantly, Evelyn thought, as though expecting disapproval. ‘I’ve had a DNA test done,’ she said. ‘Two, actually, to be on the safe side. It’s very easy at the moment, but I discovered that the law’s going to change soon, and it’ll require the mother’s consent in the future, so I thought I’d get in quick while it’s still possible.’ She shrugged her shoulders. ‘The results have just come through. Of course they matched. I knew they would.’

‘And have you told Lorna that you’ve done this? Have you actually told Giles?’