‘Wasn’t Perkins the engineer in the ward, and in the other lifeboat, the one that might have got chopped up on the last tape? ’Ere, rewind it a bit,’ her father suggested.

‘You might be right, Dad.’ They listened again and realised it was the very same Corporal. ‘What a wonderful historical record,’ Shelly said. ‘Imagine if this blanket could talk, it’s over a hundred years old. Like new, too. I wonder why Gran Gertie kept it. Sentimental value, do you think? Perhaps, you know . . . who can imagine what went on underneath it? By the way, Gran Gertie’s husband seems to have been a forbidden subject when I was younger. Do you know who he was – Corporal Perkins, or somebody else entirely?’

‘Like I said, it’s not my job to tell you.’

‘She always used the name Smith. To be honest, I took it for granted it was her married name, but if her father was Dr Smith, it was her maiden name,’ Shelly said.

‘That was the name of her son too, your grandfather, Adam Smith. Let’s hope your answers lay in one of those tapes. Anyway, my memory’s going, Shelly.’ Their eyes met. ‘One of these days you’ll have to sign me into The Gables, you know. Gertie was very happy there.’

‘Are you worried, Dad?’

‘Yes, of course. I’m eighty. But I’ll tell you something, when I’m not worried, that’s when I need to go and stay there.’

‘We can visit the place if you like. Or there might be other solutions.’

‘Nah, let’s get back to the trunk and what’s-his-name’s blanket.’

Shelly lifted it out and gasped. ‘Oh my, look! Christmas presents. Mum must have hidden them in here before she went shopping.’ Her heart squeezed. ‘Let’s put them to one side.’

Gordon stared at the parcels. ‘Perhaps we should have a Christmas dinner in your mother’s memory this year. Maggie would love that. All she wanted was to give us a good time. Seems a shame to waste it. What do you think?’

‘Oh, Dad, that’s the loveliest thought. If it wouldn’t be too painful, I’d love it.’

‘Recently I’ve come to realise, she wouldn’t want us to be so miserable every year. I know we’ve never celebrated Christmas since, because of me. But, I felt it just wouldn’t work, trying to be happy and festive. It would all be a lie.’