Gertie Smith, I, Emmanuelle Psaras take thee to be my lawful wedded wife. Whatever your response is, ‘I agree and declare, I do.’ I want to say many things but fear the weight of this letter is too much for Icarus. I trust his brave spirit and pray this letter arrives at Lighthouse Lane. I wish to tell Adam how wonderful his mother is. Keep these cigarette papers and give them to him when time is right. Tell him about his father, Gertie; that I love him, as I love his mother. He must grow strong and take care of you in your old age on my behalf, agapi. Your love fills my heart, Gertie, and makes my journey into the afterlife bearable. And when this shattered body gives up, as it will in the next days, I will take your love to heaven to comfort me until we meet again. When your time comes, you’ll find me waiting for you at the gates of eternity.

All my love, for ever, Manno.

Silence filled the room, broken only by a very damp sniff from Gordon.

‘How terribly sad. All that time Gran Gertie stood at the bottom of the garden, shaking her corn tin, poor Icarus lay dead in the chimney with Manno’s wedding vow, his final goodbye, and her wedding ring. I’ve never wished there is a heaven more than I do at this moment,’ Shelly whispered. ‘I want to believe he was there for her when she died.’

‘I think I’m going to cry,’ Eve said, pouring herself another glass of white.

Gordon blew his nose noisily. ‘’Ere, you should have this,’ he said, picking up the thin ring and passing it to Shelly.

She stared at it in the palm of her hand. ‘It belongs with the next generation. Will it fit on your little finger, DJ?’

He pushed it on and lay his hand flat on the tabletop. They all stared at it. ‘Just fits. Thanks, Mum. It’s an honour to wear it. I can’t believe it travelled across Europe attached to the leg of a pigeon. A bird that avoided gunfire and bombs; all for the sake of my great-great-grandmother, Gertie Smith. Amazing, isn’t it? I wonder what happened to Corporal Perkins?’

*

Eight weeks later, Shelly found herself on the top deck of the ferry, staring at the port of Kea as the ship slid smoothly between the Church of the Trinity, and St Nicholas lighthouse. She saw a dozen people waiting for the boat and spotted Harry immediately.

‘Harry, it’s wonderful to be back,’ she said, resisting the urge to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him on the mouth.

‘Allow me help you,’ he said, his brown eyes sparkling with pleasure as he kissed her cheeks and then took her suitcase. ‘Let’s get this to your room as quickly as possible.’

‘Oh yes! I’ve got something for you.’