Lily had helped John Pruett decorate the tables with red, white and blue crêpe paper and was now returning home on her bicycle. As she cycled out of the school gates flower candles on the horse chestnut trees gave notice of the summer days ahead. On the High Street bluebottles buzzed in the hedgerow where bracken was uncurling among the cow parsley, and the magenta heads of foxgloves waved as she swept by. On the back road to Kirkby Steepleton sycamore and ash keys hung in the trees above her head and the fluffy seeds of willow drifted on the heavy, still air.

It was a time of renewal and Lily felt good to be alive, particularly as she was expecting to meet Tom later and give him a long-awaited answer to his proposal of marriage. She knew it was a decision that would please Tom and anger her mother.

Back at Laurel Cottage, Florence was picking flowers in the neat little garden. She had offered to decorate the tables for the afternoon party at Kirkby Steepleton Primary School.

On the High Street outside her gate she could hear a group of excited boys playing cricket with dreams of representing Yorkshire. ‘Ah’m Freddie Trueman,’ shouted an aspiring fast bowler. ‘An’ ah’m Len ’Utton, t’best batsman in t’world,’ yelled another.

Florence had collected bunches of marigolds, sweet peas and roses when Lily arrived. ‘How lovely, Mother,’ she said. ‘Let me help.’

As they gathered flowers, bright-winged butterflies hovered above the buddleia bushes, while the drone of bees could be heard in their never-ending search for pollen. Cuckoo spit nestled in the lavender leaves, sparkling like bright foam, while the scent of roses hung in the air like a lover’s embrace.

Meanwhile, Florence gave Lily a sharp glance and wondered why she appeared so elated.

At half past ten everyone settled down to watch the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey, then two hours later the world held its breath at the moment of the crowning. By two o’clock the villagers of Ragley and Kirkby Steepleton were opening their curtains and emerging bleary-eyed into the open air as the celebrations began.

On Ragley High Street dozens of children wearing party hats made of folded newspaper sat down for their party tea outside the village hall. Vera put down a tray of North Yorkshire County Council glass tumblers filled with lukewarm home-made lemonade on one of the trestle tables, and Nora Pratt and Shirley Makin served the drinks to each child. There were crab paste sandwiches and biscuits, followed by a special surprise when Prudence Golightly appeared from the General Stores after her huge delivery of Wall’s ice cream. Each ice cream was in a brick-like carton and there was a choice of raspberry or vanilla. Prudence had also wrapped them in two sheets of newspaper to make sure the ice cream lasted for another two hours.