Much as she liked her present set of visitors, she was looking forward to having a day without any of them around – even to being without Giles. She intended to try to get hold of her sister, even if it meant being extremely persistent. Evelyn Fergusson’s information had stiffened her spine for confrontation – though what form this would take she didn’t quite know.

John and Morwenna set off happily for Glamis in John’s ancient but immaculate Vauxhall Sierra. Neither the interior of his car nor his light-coloured raincoat ever seemed to attract spots or stains or appear rumpled. Not for the Colonel the dog hairs, torn maps, single gloves, half-finished crossword puzzles and withered apples that seemed to breed in Isobel’s car – against which Giles occasionally waged a losing battle – yet he clearly wasn’t at all afraid of getting his hands dirty if required and had cheerfully volunteered to help Giles unload some logs for the house. Must be all that military discipline, thought Isobel gloomily, thinking it was time she had a blitz on the tidiness of her house, her clothes, her cupboards and her car.

Marnie and Louisa watched them drive away before setting off on their own expedition.

‘Heavens – do look. John’s actually wearing driving gloves!’ exclaimed Louisa in awed tones. ‘I didn’t know anyone really wore those. What do you think – will those two manage to go on seeing each other after they’ve left Glendrochatt?’

‘I guess. They’d be good company for each other, like two bits of a jigsaw fitting together.’

‘They could be each other’s bidie-in,’ suggested Louisa.

‘What on earth’s that?’

‘In Scotland it’s the lover that lives in – something less than a marriage but more than an affair, but it sounds so much more romantic than a partner or an item or a common-law wife, don’t you think?’

‘A bidie-in . . .’ Marnie tried it out. ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘I quite like the sound of that.’

‘Umm. I rather thought you would,’ said Louisa. She raised an eyebrow. ‘Perhaps you might be getting one of those for yourself.’

‘You know what? I might, too!’

They looked at each other and suddenly they both laughed and any remaining tension between them was gone.

‘If you’re ready, shall we go?’ asked Louisa. ‘My car or yours?’

‘Let’s take mine. You organise our day and I’ll be the driver.’

They had a brilliant time together. Each was determined to leave behind any issues between them and reach again the tentative friendship they’d several times been on the brink of achieving.

As predicted, Marnie loved St Andrews: its pleasant shops and pretty old houses; its many ancient buildings, its ruined cathedral and sense of history. Louisa, on a sentimental trip down memory lane and reminiscing about her student years at the university, was an ideal guide.