‘I’m going with me grandad,’ Kate announced firmly and slipped her hand through Will Benson’s arm.

‘Ya grandad’s riding in the trap with me and the baby, Grannie Harris, Enid and Walter,’ Esther said. ‘It’s all arranged. The rest of you will have to walk to the church.’

‘What about Rosie? She can’t walk all that way.’

‘Enid’s bairns aren’t coming to the church, but they’ll come here after.’

‘Who’s looking after them?’ But Kate knew the answer almost before she asked the question.

‘The Elands,’ was her mother’s terse reply.

That meant Rosie would be with Danny. Her two best friends and she could not be with them. I’d rather be playing with them, Kate thought morosely, than going to the christening of a squealing infant!

When the whole party arrived at the church porch, two women were waiting there.

‘Jonathan! My dear boy.’ The older one of the two women stretched out her arms and enveloped him.

‘Hello, Mother.’

Kate watched as her stepfather succumbed to the woman’s rapturous hug and then he turned to the younger woman and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Hello, Peggy. How are you, love?’

Jonathan Godfrey’s tone, always gentle and kindly, had an even deeper note of tenderness when he spoke to his sister, so that Kate stared at the tall, slim woman with interest.

Introductions were made all round.

‘I’m so sorry your father couldn’t come, Jonathan,’ Mrs Godfrey was saying. ‘He has a wretched cold and it’s settled on his chest. He’s cough, cough, cough . . .’ She cast her eyes skywards in a gesture of resignation. ‘He keeps me awake half the night, too,’ she added, but she was smiling as she said it and there was no rancour in her tone.

The party moved into the church and sat at the back near the font while Morning Service continued. Lilian whimpered and grizzled all the way through and when it came to the point of the christening where the vicar splashed water on to her forehead, the baby set up a loud wail that embarrassed Kate. She wished she could rush out of the church. Instead she shrank towards her grandfather, leaning against his arm, to be rewarded by him smiling down at her. Although baby Lilian was as much his grandchild as she was, Kate did not feel her place in Will Benson’s affections had been usurped by the new arrival.

‘Come on, me little lass,’ Will whispered as the party emerged from the church and everyone gathered around Esther and the baby, ‘let us slip away. We’ll walk back home on the beach, shall we?’

‘Oh yes, Grandad,’ Kate agreed eagerly, then her expression sobered as she looked down at his polished boots. ‘But won’t the sand spoil ya boots?’