The evening had gone better than Marnie had dared to hope, her usual awkward constraint with new people rapidly wearing off under the warmth of Elspeth Piper’s welcome and the relaxed atmosphere that she created round her. Godfrey Piper was more reserved, with a formal, old-fashioned courtesy, but she thought she detected a twinkle in his eye and Christopher had told her that behind a poker-player’s straight face a tremendous sense of humour lurked.

‘Oh, by the way, darling,’ Marnie overheard Elspeth say to Christopher as they were going in to dinner, ‘Nicola rang twice. She said she couldn’t get you on your mobile but I didn’t think you’d want me to give her the Glendrochatt number. She wants you to ring her so I promised I’d tell you. She’s in London.’ Christopher looked noncommittal, but Marnie’s heart lurched and she wondered what his mother thought of the ex-girlfriend about whom he talked so little.

In fact, after Nicola’s brassy self-confidence, Marnie’s initial shyness did her no disservice in her hostess’s eyes, and Elspeth, unobtrusively studying her son and deeply grateful that he seemed so miraculously restored to something like his former self, went out of her way to put her guest at ease. The current that flowed between Christopher and this diminutive young American with the pre-Raphaelite face was unmistakable, but, thought his mother, there was more than mere sexual attraction at work – though that was clearly present too – and the thought crossed her mind like a warning wisp of grey cloud on a sunny day that either one of them could be seriously hurt if anything went wrong between them. Goodness knows, she felt Christopher had been hurt enough, but she sensed something so vulnerable about Marnie that she found her curiously moving. She sent up a prayer for them both.

Christopher was relieved to see that Marnie – used to her own high-powered tycoon of a parent – knew just how to flirt gently with his equally successful and sometimes formidable father, and Godfrey Piper was soon regaling her with all his best jokes and stories, delivered deadpan, and making her laugh. Christopher and his mother exchanged an amused look.

There was so much news to share and Godfrey and Elspeth proved such interested listeners that they all lingered over dinner without noticing that it was quite dark before anyone thought of putting the lights on. They drank to Christopher’s future as a writer, and to the success of Marnie’s efforts to buy Eilean Dobhran.

‘What a romantic story! It’s not often we entertain someone who’s about to purchase a castle in the air,’ said Christopher’s father, raising his glass to Marnie and smiling at her. ‘May all your dreams come true, my dear.’

‘I can see Dad’s rather taken with your new friend,’ said Elspeth, as she and Christopher carried the plates out to the kitchen.