‘Well let me be thankful for that,’ he said lightly, but his heart sank. He’d been counting the days to the end of his parole in a few months’ time, thinking that he would soon be able to put the whole wretched three years, if not exactly behind him, then certainly to one side, and move forward. There was a very important question he was longing to put to Marnie, but he was determined to wait till he felt it would be right to do so.

Now he wondered if it might become more complicated than either of them had bargained for.

They had several times rung the Grants to catch up with Glendrochatt news and been delighted to hear from Giles and Isobel – their first joint friends, as Marnie proudly pointed out – the news about Rory. ‘There’s lots of agreements still to be ironed out,’ Isobel told Marnie, ‘but Rory is so thrilled to be here we feel we’re doing the right thing, and my sister’s returned to the States with her verbose husband. Amy and Ed seem genuinely delighted that Rory’s back, which is a comfort. Keep us posted about any developments over Eilean Dobhran, won’t you?’

‘Do you know one of the uses I might like to put the castle to if I get it?’ Marnie had asked Christopher one night.

‘No, tell me.’

‘Well,’ she said, ‘I talked to Isobel a lot about Edward one day and she told me how desperate she’d often felt when he was little with so much anxiety and pressure – not only with the times when he was rushed to hospital and they were fighting for his life, but also when they were trying to get the right schooling for him and to help him become more socially acceptable, let alone to come to terms with the fact that he will always be different and dependent. She said that it puts huge strains on a marriage and told me how fortunate she felt to have had so much support from family and friends; to have had enough money to get help when the twins were little so that Amy didn’t get neglected. She said so many families she’d met through Edward struggled with much worse problems and didn’t have half as much respite. And I thought wouldn’t it be wonderful to turn Eilean Dobhran into somewhere offering peace and comfort for people who need a break – for whatever reason. It could be a proper hotel too and some people would pay the full rates, but if I could set up some sort of foundation or bursary scheme, it could provide a respite for those who couldn’t otherwise afford it. I thought Isobel and Giles would be perfect to have on a management committee to advise and help. What do you think?’

‘I think it’s a great idea,’ said Christopher. ‘A worthy use for the Contessa’s money.’